Despite grappling with recent health concerns, Pope Francis remained steadfast and presided over a two-hour Easter Vigil Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, a strenuous event on the Catholic calendar. The 87-year-old Pope, looking frail, delivered the entire service, including a lengthy homily, despite instances of raspy and breathless speech. Although visibly weakened, his spirits remained high as he waved enthusiastically to the congregation before exiting in a wheelchair, an assistive device that he routinely uses due to a knee issue.
In contrast to past instances, when he assigned longer readings to assistants, Pope Francis elected to personally deliver all readings. His decision to alter his level of participation in Holy Week rituals, including a last-minute withdrawal from the Via Crucis procession at Rome’s Colosseum on Friday came as a surprise; the Vatican clarified that the change was made in an endeavor to conserve his health ahead of significant Holy Week observances.
Pope Francis’s public engagements have been restricted recently owing to a series of health issues described as bronchitis, influenza, and common colds. He managed to rally on Thursday, however, performing a foot-washing rite at a women’s prison and attending a Good Friday service at St Peter’s, both demonstrations of the humility displayed by Jesus at the Last Supper.
Holy Week culminates in Easter Sunday, the apex of the Christian calendar, commemorating the day Christians believe Jesus was resurrected from the dead. The Mass on Saturday night marked this momentous shift from darkness to light, symbolic of Jesus’ resurrection. With roughly 6,000 attendees, this service took place in the largest Christian church and commenced in near-complete darkness before the lights were eventually turned on.
In his sermon, referring to the resurrection of Jesus when the stone sealing his grave was rolled back, Pope Francis encouraged Christians to sustain their faith, even in the face of disappointment, fear, and adversity. He highlighted the role of faith in overcoming the “selfishness and indifference that act as barriers to the creation of fairer and more humane cities and societies.” Francis also spoke of peace aspirations disrupted by the ruthless vitriol of war and hostility.
Francis is scheduled to wrap up Easter festivities this Sunday through conducting a Mass at St. Peter’s Square. He will also give his semi-annual “Urbi et Orbi” (for the city and for the world) blessing and speech from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, as reported by Reuters.
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