The Vatican announces that Pope Francis will preside over the Easter Vigil on Saturday evening, after deciding at the last minute not to participate in the Stations of the Cross procession on Good Friday at the Colosseum in Rome, for health reasons.
The Vatican’s daily bulletin highlights that the pontiff will lead the long Easter Vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica, one of the most solemn and important moments in the Catholic liturgical calendar. The event, which is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. local time, usually lasts two hours. It commemorates the resurrection of Jesus, for Christians, and includes the sacrament of baptism for eight adult converts.
Pope Francis, 87, struggled all winter with respiratory problems that made it difficult for him to speak at length.
The head of the Catholic Church canceled some activities and often asked an aide to read some of his speeches aloud. The pope skipped his Palm Sunday homily last week and decided at the last minute Friday to stay home rather than preside over the Stations of the Cross procession at Rome’s Colosseum to commemorate Christ’s crucifixion.
The Vatican explained that the decision was made to “preserve his health” in preparation for the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday mass.
The pope is due to preside over Easter mass on Sunday morning in St. Peter’s Square and pronounce his urbi et orbi blessing, praying in particular for an end to major global crises.
Pope Francis also missed last year’s Good Friday procession because he was recovering from bronchitis, but his sudden absence from the event this year has raised concerns. His chair was in place on the podium, and Vatican staff were preparing for his arrival when they learned five minutes before kickoff that he would not be coming.
In addition to his respiratory problems, Pope Francis had part of his large intestine removed in 2021 and was hospitalized twice last year. He also had part of a lung removed when he was a young man.
The sovereign pontiff has used a wheelchair or a cane for almost two years because of knee ligament pain.
In his recently published memoir, Pope Francis says he does not suffer from any health problems that would force him to resign and that he still has many projects to accomplish.