Pope Francis Seen Publicly in Wheelchair for 1st Time (Photos)

Pope Francis arrived at an event in the Vatican, on Thursday, using a wheelchair for the first time in public due to knee pain.

Francis, 85, seemed to be having a flare-up of sciatica, a nerve condition he suffers from that he called his "troublesome guest".

Last month, the Pope had to cancel or cut short activities several times due to pain in his right knee that makes it hard for him to walk and stand.

Before Thursday's event, he was able to walk roughly 10 metres or so from the side entrance of the stage to his seat with some help, according to Sky News.

The Pope has recently received some injections to relieve the pain but has continued to struggle.

His impaired movement was obvious over Easter when he attended but did not take charge of masses at St Peter's Basilica, instead of delegating a cardinal or archbishop to preside.

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