ROME — Pope Francis, hospitalized lately with bronchitis, skipped the standard Good Friday nighttime procession on the Colosseum due to chilly climate in Rome, staying as an alternative at his residence on the Vatican whereas 1000’s of devoted turned out for the torchlit occasion.
This Good Friday was the primary time a pontiff was a no-show on the Colosseum Manner of the Cross procession since 2005. Then, a weakened and ailing St. John Paul II, eight days earlier than his loss of life, silently watched the Manner of the Cross ritual on TV at his condo within the Apostolic Palace.
The Vatican had mentioned Francis would preside on the historic Roman enviornment on the procession that recollects Jesus’ struggling earlier than his crucifixion and loss of life on a cross. However only a few hours earlier than the procession’s begin, the Vatican, citing the “intense chilly” that has made evenings unseasonably chilly in Rome today, revealed that Francis would keep at his residence in a lodge in Vatican Metropolis and observe the occasion from there.
The 86-year-old pope was discharged from a Rome hospital on April 1 after being administered antibiotics intravenously for bronchitis.
Earlier on Friday, Francis presided at a two-hour lengthy early night prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica. Good Thursday, a day earlier, noticed the pope attend a prolonged Mass within the basilica and within the afternoon go to a Rome juvenile jail the place he washed and dried the toes of a dozen younger residents in a symbolic gesture of humility that imitates what Jesus did for his 12 apostles forward of his crucifixion.
The Colosseum appointment is a spotlight of Holy Week ceremonies. At this 12 months’s procession, by which a tall, slim, light-weight cross was carried by devoted, some 20,000 folks turned out, holding lighted candles within the darkness outdoors the sector. When the procession ended, and a cardinal, as an alternative of the pope, gave a blessing, a shout of “Lengthy dwell the pope!” rose from the group.
Francis selected because the procession’s theme “voices of peace in a time of struggle.” Learn aloud had been accounts of struggling, of migrants and refugees from struggle, civil warfare or starvation, in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Center East, South America and elsewhere.
The choice got here from among the many many accounts of struggling that Francis has heard from migrants and others who spoke with him throughout his abroad journeys and different events.
Among the many accounts had been these of a Ukrainian youth who at first fled to Italy the place his grandmother works to flee the struggle at residence, however later, homesick, returned to Ukraine. Following that account was that of a younger Russian who mentioned his brother died, presumably after being despatched to struggle in Ukraine, which Russia invaded in February 2022.
Francis has repeatedly lamented the struggling of the Ukrainian folks and issued many appeals for peace.
The pope did maintain his appointment at an early night Good Friday prayer service at St. Peter’s Basilica. Sporting crimson-colored vestments, Francis, who has a power knee downside, used a wheelchair to succeed in the central space of the basilica and preside over the service.
Through the Good Friday basilica ceremony, the pope at occasions sounded hoarse whereas studying aloud and when he gave his blessing on the finish of the practically two-hour lengthy service. At one level, he stood as much as kiss a determine of Jesus on a tall cross which was delivered to him, then bowed his head in silent reflection.
Whereas Rome has recently skilled spring-like climate through the day to Rome, temperatures have dipped into the excessive 30s Fahrenheit (about 4 levels Celsius) after darkish.
Francis can be scheduled to preside at an Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday night time within the basilica. On Sunday, he is because of be in St. Peter’s Sq. for a mid-morning Mass. He’s anticipated to ship an extended speech that evaluations wars and different conflicts on the planet, identified by its Latin title, “Urbi et Orbi.”