The Vatican confirmed Pope Francis would preside over the Easter Vigil service on Saturday night, after he decided at the last minute to skip his participation in the Good Friday procession at the Colosseum as a health precaution.
The Vatican's daily bulletin confirmed Francis would lead the lengthy vigil in St. Peter's Basilica, one of the most solemn and important moments in the Catholic liturgical calendar. The service, which is due to begin at 7:30 p.m. local time and usually lasts two hours, commemorates the resurrection of Jesus and includes the sacrament of baptism for eight adult converts.
The 87-year-old Francis, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has been battling respiratory problems all winter that have made it difficult for him to speak at length.
He has canceled some audiences and often asked an aide to read aloud some of his speeches. But he ditched his Palm Sunday homily altogether and decided at the last minute Friday to stay home rather than preside over the Way of the Cross procession at the Colosseum re-enacting Christ's crucifixion.
The Vatican made a brief announcement stating that the decision to skip the Good Friday procession was made to "conserve his health" ahead of the upcoming Easter events. Pope Francis is scheduled to lead an Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square and deliver his Urbi et Orbi speech, praying for an end to global crises.
Last year, the pope missed the Good Friday procession due to bronchitis, and this year his absence raised concerns as his chair was empty on the podium. Just five minutes before the event was set to begin, the Vatican announced that he would not be attending.
Aside from respiratory issues, Pope Francis underwent surgery to remove a portion of his large intestine in 2021 and faced two hospitalizations last year, one of which was to address complications from previous surgeries related to diverticulosis. He has been using a wheelchair or cane for nearly two years due to knee ligament problems.
In his memoirs, "Life: My Story Through History," Pope Francis mentioned that he does not have any health issues that would necessitate resignation and still has many projects to complete.
