The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Francis will preside over the Easter vigil on Saturday evening, after deciding at the last minute not to take part in the Good Friday procession to the Colosseum as a health precaution.
The Vatican’s daily bulletin confirmed that Francis will lead the long vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica, one of the most solemn and important moments in the Catholic liturgical calendar. The service, which is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. local time and typically lasts two hours, commemorates the resurrection of Jesus and includes the sacrament of baptism for eight adult converts.
Francis, 87, who had part of his lung removed when he was young, was fight against respiratory problems all winter, which prevented him from speaking at length.
He canceled some hearings and often asked an aide to read some of his speeches aloud. But he completely abandoned his Palm Sunday homily and decided at the last minute Friday to stay home rather than preside over the Stations of the Cross procession to the Colosseum reenacting the crucifixion of Christ.
The Vatican said in a brief explanation that the decision was taken to “preserve his health” due to Saturday’s vigil and his even heavier obligations on Easter Sunday. The pope is due to preside over an Easter morning mass in St. Peter’s Square and deliver his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) speech, praying for an end to global crises.
Andrew Medichini / AP
While Francis also skipped the frigid Good Friday procession last year because he was recovering from bronchitis, his sudden absence from the event this year has sparked concerns. His chair was in place at the podium and his aides were preparing for his arrival when the Vatican announced five minutes before the official start time that he would not come.
In addition to his breathing problems, Francis had part of his large intestine removed in 2021 and was hospitalized twice last year, including once to remove intestinal scar tissue from previous surgeries to treat diverticulosis or bulges in the intestinal wall. He has used a wheelchair or cane for almost two years because of knee ligament problems.
In his recently published memoir, “Life: My Story Through History,” Francis said he did not suffer from any health problems that would force him to resign and that he still had “many projects to carry out”.
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