Pope Francis. | Courtesy of Vatican News.

The Vatican has announced Pope Francis has postponed his Apostolic Journey to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office is quoted by the Vatican News as saying the Holy Father is undergoing knee treatment.

“At the request of his doctors, and in order not to jeopardize the results of the therapy that he is undergoing for his knee, Pope Francis has been forced to postpone,” reads part of the statement posted on the Vatican News.

The Vatican affiliated statement said the Pontiff regrets to announce the postponement of the visit, to a yet-to-be-determined date.

“With regret, his Apostolic Journey to the Democratic Republic of Congo and to South Sudan, planned for 2 to 7 July, to a later date to be determined,” said the statement.

When contacted on the development, the Secretary General of the South Sudan Catholic Bishops said he learned it in the media.

Clergy Suleiman Boll describes the news as shocking to everyone.

“So, I’m also shocked to see it in the media. We will have a meeting. And of course, it is shocking for everybody because we have gone far with the preparations. I don’t know how people will respond to it, it will be discouraging.”

 Pope Francis’ visit to South Sudan was announced in 2019, and since then, the exact date for his visit was never fixed until in May this year.