The Vatican says Pope Francis has skipped the traditional Good Friday procession at Rome’s Colosseum to protect his health, adding to concerns about his frail condition during a particularly busy liturgical period
Vatican ushers carry Pope Francis chair prior to the start of the Via Crucis at the Colosseum on Good Friday, in Rome, Friday, March 29, 2024. Pope Francis skipped the traditional Good Friday procession at Rome’s Colosseum to protect his health, the Vatican said, making a last-minute decision that added to concerns about his frail condition during a particularly busy period.
The 87-year-old Francis, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has been battling what he and the Vatican have described as a case of the flu, bronchitis or a cold all winter long. For the last several weeks he has occasionally asked an aide to read aloud his speeches, and heskipped his Palm Sunday homily altogether.
His absence was noted with concern but understanding among some of the estimated 25,000 pilgrims who packed the area for the torchlit procession. Francis had appeared in good form earlier in the day for a Good Friday liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica, though he remained mostly seated and it was not a particularly taxing event that required him to speak at length.
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