Pope soldiers through Easter Vigil after missing procession

[Pelican Press 0]

Pope soldiers through Easter Vigil after missing procession

Pope Francis presides the liturgy of the light during Easter Vigil Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on March 30, 2024 in ******** City.

******** Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Pope Francis on Saturday soldiered through a more than 2-hour Easter Vigil Mass in St Peter’s Basilica, one of the longest services in ********* liturgy, amid renewed concerns about the 87-year-old’s frail condition.

His voice at times sounded raspy and out of breath, but he read out all of his prepared texts, including a more than one-page long homily, and he smiled and waved at the congregation as he left in a wheelchair.

In other occasions, Francis has delegated longer readings to aides.

On Friday, the pope skipped at the last minute the night-time Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) procession at Rome’s Colosseum in what the ******** said was a bid to “preserve his health” ahead of other Holy Week events.

The surprise move came after weeks in which Francis repeatedly limited his public speaking and cancelled engagements while struggling with what has been described as colds, bronchitis and the flu.

The pope is also restricted in his mobility due to a knee ailment, and regularly uses a wheelchair or a cane.

Francis looked in better shape on Thursday as he performed a foot-washing ceremony in a women’s prison, recalling ******’ gesture of humility to his apostles at the Last Supper, and at a Good Friday service in St Peter’s.

Holy Week consists of several solemn ceremonies leading to Easter on Sunday, the most important festivity in the ********** calendar, celebrating the day in which the faithful believe ****** rose from the *****.

Saturday’s evening service, held in Christendom’s largest *******, started in near total darkness before lights were turned on, signifying the passage from darkness to light when the ****** says ****** rose from the *****.

It was attended by about 6,000 people, the ******** said.

In his homily, recalling that the stone sealing ******’ tomb was rolled back as he was resurrected, Francis urged Christians to keep their ****** even when weighed down by sorrow, ***** or other adversities.

He mentioned, among other things, “the rubber walls of selfishness and indifference that hold us back in the effort to build more just and humane cities and societies,” as well as “all our aspirations for peace that are shattered by cruel hatred and the brutality of war.”

Francis is set to conclude Easter celebrations on Sunday with Mass in St. Peter’s Square and his twice-annual “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) blessing and message from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Religion,business news
#Pope #soldiers #Easter #Vigil #missing #procession

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up