The Vatican confirmed Pope Francis will oversee the Easter Vigil service on Saturday evening, after he chose at the last minute to not participate in the Good Friday procession at the Colosseum as a health precaution.
The Vatican’s daily bulletin affirmed Francis will lead the long vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica, one of the most important moments in the Catholic liturgical calendar. The service, which is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. and typically lasts two hours, recognizes the resurrection of Jesus and involves the sacrament of baptism for eight adult converts.
The 87-year-old Francis, who had part of one lung removed when he was young, has been dealing with respiratory issues all winter which have made it hard for him to speak for long periods.
He has canceled some appointments and often asked an aide to read some of his speeches out loud. But he skipped his Palm Sunday homily entirely and decided at the last minute on Friday to stay home instead of leading the Way of the Cross procession at the Colosseum, which re-enacts Christ’s crucifixion.
The Vatican explained briefly that the decision was made to “preserve his health” in preparation for the vigil service on Saturday and his even more demanding responsibilities on Easter Sunday. The pope is scheduled to lead a morning Easter Mass in St. Peter’s Square and deliver his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) speech praying for an end to global crises.
While Francis also missed the chilly Good Friday procession last year due to recovering from bronchitis, his sudden absence from the event this year raised concern. His chair was in place on the podium, and his aides were preparing for his arrival when the Vatican announced five minutes before the official start time that he wasn’t coming.
In addition to his respiratory problems, Francis had a portion of his large intestine removed in 2021 and was hospitalized twice last year, including once to undergo surgery to remove intestinal scar tissue from previous surgeries to address diverticulosis, or bulges in his intestinal wall. He has been using a wheelchair or cane for nearly two years due to bad knee ligaments.
In his recently published memoirs, “Life: My Story Through History,” Francis stated he doesn't have any health issues that would necessitate his resignation and that he still has “ many projects to bring to fruition.”
