Pope Francis uses wheelchair in public for first time

Francis was wheeled into the meeting Thursday with nuns and religious superiors from around the world who are meeting in Rome. It was the first time he had been seen using a wheelchair in public since the flareup.

Pope Francis waves as he arrives at a Vatican conference on Thursday.

Francis, 85, has been suffering from strained ligaments in his right knee for several months. He revealed he recently received some injections to try to relieve the pain, but he has continued to struggle to walk and stand.

“The wheelchair would likely become a familiar sight as Francis tried to stay off his feet as much as possible to help his knee heal,” Vatican source.

According to the wire service, the pope was last seen in a wheelchair at a Rome hospital in July to undergo intestinal surgery.

Quoting Vatican sources,  Pope is not expected to make any changes to his schedule over the next few weeks, however, the use of the wheelchair may become a familiar sight.

The Pope has had to cancel or cut short activities several times in the last month because of pain in his right knee.