Pope Francis stumbled as he entered the Vatican auditorium for an audience when the handle of his walking stick snapped, though he managed to avoid falling.

Reuters

The 88-year-old pontiff, who suffers from knee problems, has fallen twice in recent months. After the incident, two aides assisted him to his chair, and the audience continued without disruption. Once he recovered, a member of the crowd shouted "Viva il Papa," and the audience applauded.

Earlier this year, Francis injured his right arm in a fall, though it wasn’t broken, and in December, he bruised his chin after an accidental fall in his room. The Pope, who also deals with frequent bouts of bronchitis, relies on a walker or cane when moving around his residence at the Vatican's Santa Marta hotel.

Speculation about his health has been persistent, particularly after Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation in 2013, which was partly linked to a fall he suffered. Despite this, Francis has stated he has no plans to resign, even though Benedict "opened the door" to such a possibility.

In his recent autobiography Hope, he explained that he never considered stepping down, even after undergoing major surgery.