(Vatican City) Pope Francis did not preside over the end-of-year vespers at St. Peter’s Basilica on Friday, as planned, but delivered the homily, after canceling his traditional visit to the nativity scene in the square Saint-Pierre because of the risk of contamination by COVID-19.
It was therefore the dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, who led the service with the 85-year-old sovereign pontiff at his side wearing a mask.
Asked about this change, just three hours after the Vatican confirmed that the Pope would preside over the ceremony, a spokesperson simply replied that the Sovereign Pontiff had expressed the wish that the ceremony be presided over by the cardinal and not by him.
Last year the Pope was unable to celebrate New Year’s Masses due to sciatica.
The Sovereign Pontiff is normally welcomed by the faithful when he visits the manger on December 31, after having presided over the end of year vespers and sung the Te Deum prayer.
But the Vatican indicated, in its agenda, that “the event will not take place, to avoid gatherings and the risks of contamination by COVID-19”.
On Wednesday, Pope Francis had held his weekly general audience as usual in the huge Paul VI hall of the Vatican, wearing masks and respecting social distancing.
As elsewhere in Europe, Italy – and by extension the small state of Vatican City – is facing an upsurge in coronavirus cases, caused by the new variant Omicron.