Pope Francis had to use an elevator to board a plane taking him to Malta on Saturday, with Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni saying it was to "avoid unnecessary strain".
It was the first time in the pope's 36 trips abroad that he did not walk up the plane steps on his own. The 85-year-old pope, who is making a two-day visit to Malta, suffers from sciatica, a nerve condition that causes pain in his legs.
