Pope Francis was forced to miss the traditional “Way of the Cross” procession in Rome just days after being hospitalised for bronchitis.
The pontiff, 86, was ordered by doctors ordered to skip the landmark service at the Colosseum as cold weather gripped the Italian capital.
It was the first time the Pope had missed the event since he was elected in 2013. The last pope to skip the service was Pope John Paul II. Failing health prevented him from leaving the Vatican in the last weeks of his life in 2005.
Francis instead followed it from his residence in the Vatican as a “precaution” after the temperature fell in recent days.
The Vatican did not announce any immediate further changes to the rest of the Pope’s Holy Week schedule, but the dean of the college of cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, has said a cardinal would help the pope during the week’s celebrations and take care of altar duties.
A similar arrangement was put in place last year, when the frail Pope sat to one side during some Easter events due to persistent knee pain, leaving it to senior cardinals to lead the Masses.
He is due to preside at an Easter Saturday vigil Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, and on Easter Sunday he is due to say Mass and then deliver his twice-annual “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) blessing and message in St. Peter’s Square.
Francis spent four days in hospital for treatment of a bout of bronchitis, recovered quickly with antibiotic therapy and resumed public activities last Sunday.
Earlier on Friday, Francis sat through an afternoon “Passion of the Lord” service in St. Peter’s Basilica, listening to three cantors and a choir recount in Latin the last hours in the life of Jesus.
He also heard a sermon by the preacher of the papal household. As is customary at such liturgies, he did not deliver a homily.
Francis showed no sign of discomfort, although he coughed heavily several times during the service.
The Pope, who appeared fine at two services on Thursday, usually makes impromptu remarks to thousands of people at the end of the Good Friday procession at the Colosseum.
As head of the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope’s health is closely watched within the Vatican and by more than one billion Catholics around the world.
He has been known to suffer from multiple conditions, including sciatica, a nerve condition that causes severe pain in the lower back and legs.
He has also had surgery for cataracts and was diagnosed with a lung condition as a young man.
In July 2021, Pope Francis spent ten days in a hospital in Rome undergoing surgery for diverticular stenosis, a condition that causes inflammation and narrowing of the colon.
The surgery was successful, and the Pope was able to return to the Vatican to continue his duties.A month later the Pope was seen coughing and struggling to speak during his weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square.
The Vatican later confirmed that he had contracted a mild case of COVID-19 but was only experiencing minor symptoms and was self-isolating.
The Pope has also faced criticism for not wearing a mask during his public appearances, despite the Vatican’s strict COVID-19 protocols.
However, the Vatican has defended the Pope’s decision, saying that he is regularly tested for the virus and that he follows social distancing guidelines.
Source: https://www.gbnews.com/news/pope-francis-health-fears-easter-2023-vatican-news