Pope Francis took part in the Easter Vigil service at the Vatican on Saturday, a day after the last-minute cancellation of his presence at a major Good Friday procession revived questions about his health.
The 87-year-old pontiff arrived to preside over the Easter Vigil at Saint Peter’s Basilica in front of thousands of pilgrims from around the world.
The Vatican had confirmed earlier in the day that the pontiff would attend.
After the rite of light in a basilica plunged into darkness to symbolise the passage from death to life of Christ, Francis was to deliver the homily and then baptise eight adults.
Sunday’s Easter Mass and the “Urbi et Orbi” blessing that follows it will be broadcast live around the world.
In a brief statement on Friday, the Vatican had said that “to preserve his health ahead of tomorrow’s vigil and the Easter Sunday mass, Pope Francis will this evening follow the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum from the Santa Marta Residence”, where he lives.
Pope skips Good Friday procession at last minute ‘to preserve his health’
Pope skips Good Friday procession at last minute ‘to preserve his health’
“The Via Crucis of a fragile pope” was the Saturday headline in Italian daily newspaper La Stampa, while Il Messaggero spoke of a “renunciation of Francis”.
A Vatican source told Agence France-Presse on Friday that there was “no particular concern” about his health, and that the decision to pull out had been “simply a measure of caution”.
The Argentinian Jesuit had also cancelled his participation in the “Via Crucis” in 2023, but that followed a three-day hospital stay for bronchitis, and was announced well ahead of time. Weeks later, he underwent a hernia operation.
Holy Week is a pillar of the Catholic calendar, involving a series of ceremonies leading up to Easter Sunday itself.
Up until Friday, the pope had attended his various Holy Week engagements, but he has recently appeared tired and has sometimes delegated speaking roles to colleagues.
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Pope Francis washes the feet of 12 female inmates in break with Holy Week past
Pope Francis washes the feet of 12 female inmates in break with Holy Week past
But in a memoir published this month, Francis wrote that he did “not have any cause serious enough to make me think of resigning”.
Resignation is a “distant possibility” that would be justified only in the event of “a serious physical impediment”, he wrote.
