Vatican Reveals that Pope Francis will Not Preside at a Corpus Christi Mass or Procession Due to Knee Pain

The Vatican has released, on Monday, June 13, 2022, that Pope Francis will not preside over a Corpus Christi Mass or Procession. 

The Holy See Press Office confirmed this in a statement:  "Due to the limitations imposed on the Pope by his knee pain and because of the specific liturgical needs of the celebration, the Holy Mass and Procession with the Eucharistic Blessing will not be celebrated on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi." 

In 2022, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi falls on Thursday, June 16th, but it is transferred in many dioceses to Sunday, June 19th. 

Pope Francis had previously presided over Mass in the courtyard of the Papal Basilica of St. John Lateran, followed by the procession with the faithful toward Rome's Marian Basilica of St. Mary Major. 

In the last two years, due to the Covid-19 restrictions, the procession had been suspended, and the Masses were celebrated with either very limited people gathered in St. Peter's Basilica.