Pope schedules back-to-back Italy trips after pandemic lull

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is planning to restart his pilgrimages within Italy after a pandemic-induced lull and knee pain that has made walking and standing difficult. The Vatican said Friday that Francis would make back-to-back September day trips to the hilltop town of Assisi and the southern city of Matera. In Assisi, he’ll participate in a Sept. 24 conference of young people calling for a more socially just and equitable world. The next day in Matera, he is scheduled to meet with refugees and to close out a eucharistic conference of the Italian Catholic Church.