Pope bows out of annual procession due to knee pain

ROME (AP) — The Vatican says Pope Francis has canceled his participation in a yearly Mass and procession next weekend due to ongoing knee pain. The annual Corpus Domini procession is scheduled for Sunday. It is a centuries-old profession of the Catholic faith during which the Eucharist is exhibited publicly. Francis has canceled several events this year due to the strained ligaments in his right knee that have made walking and standing difficult. He has been using a wheelchair for over a month and last week announced he had to cancel his planned July 2-7 trip to Africa. On Sunday he apologized to the faithful there and asked for prayers so the trip can be rescheduled quickly.