Pope 'Can't Pray' Thanks to Broken Wrist

Pope Benedict XVI's broken wrist kept him from joining his hands in prayer as he celebrated Mass today, AFP reports. "What pains him the most is to be no longer able to bless with his right hand and to be no longer able to clasp his hands together," said one of his closest officials. His cast also keeps him from writing a follow-up to his 2007 book, Jesus of Nazareth. "The pope already had the text's structure outlined in his head."

The German-born pope, 82, still plans to recite an evening prayer tomorrow in the Piedmont region, where 10,000 are expected to attend. And he will continue his 2-week holiday in northern Italy until the end of July. The pontiff had pins placed in his wrist after breaking it in a fall yesterday. "Some suffering is not a bad thing," his official said. (More Pope Benedict XVI stories.)