According to his own statement, Pope Francis wants to start his trip to the Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo and South Sudan in early February. The head of the Catholic Church said this in a video conference with African students today.
The trip to African states was originally planned for early July of this year, but was canceled shortly before that due to Francis’ health issues. “I had to cancel the trip because my doctor wouldn’t let me at that time. But now I can walk a little again using the cane,” continued the 85-year-old coach.
The pope has long struggled with a knee problem, which is why he was repeatedly in a wheelchair and unable to celebrate church celebrations. More recently, he more often walked on a cane during public appearances.
The Holy See has not yet officially confirmed the new date of the trip. According to Francis, a multi-day visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan was scheduled for the end of January. However, an ambassador warned February because the weather in January was still very unstable.