Pope Francis appeared healthy and in good spirits as he appeared on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, waving to the crowds gathered for Sunday's Easter service.
Over the past few months, the pope has been suffering from frequent bouts of bronchitis, colds and influenza, and has been regularly visiting the hospital for lung tests. Respiratory problems and a chronic cough often forced him to have close aides read passages from his speeches or cancel private audiences.
And on Palm Sunday last week, instead of reading a sermon as expected, he simply stood silently for several minutes on top of St. Peter's Square, much to the surprise and concern of his followers.
So Easter week is the most important week on the Catholic calendar, but this year it was also a week that tested Pope Francis' health. The pope's voice was occasionally hoarse while delivering the Urbi e Orbi Message, the traditional apostolic blessing and message to the world, but it was an improvement from the previous week. He didn't stop or cough.
In his speech, the Pope made a strong appeal for world peace, with a focus on Ukraine and Gaza. “May the Risen Christ open the way of peace for the peoples of these war-torn regions,” he said, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, increased humanitarian aid and the release of all hostages. I asked for October 7th.
“Let us not succumb to the logic of arms and rearmament,” Francisco said. “Peace is never made with weapons, but with outstretched hands and open hearts.”
The Pope's Easter message traditionally focuses on world affairs, with other flashpoints including Ukraine, Syria, Lebanon, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Haiti, Myanmar, Sudan, the Sahel and Horn of Africa, Congo, and Mozambique. Also mentioned.
The Pope also appealed for a halt to the escalation of violence beyond the current theater of war, a month that saw an ISIS-claimed terrorist attack in Moscow and an escalation of fighting on the Lebanese-Israeli border. The winds of war will intensify in Europe and the Mediterranean. ”
After the service, Francis rode in an open-top papal mobile and greeted crowds in the square and on the boulevard that connects St. Peter's Basilica to the Tiber River. The Vatican announced that about 60,000 people had gathered.
The speech, which took place without incident or signs of further deterioration of his health, reinforced the views of those who had previously downplayed the significance of the incident.
“The pope's decision to abandon the Palm Sunday sermon appears to be more of a spiritual choice than anything else,” said Deborah Castellano Luboff, a Vatican analyst and NBC News contributor. Ta. “It's clear to anyone who has watched Pope Francis over the last few years that he doesn't make decisions based on what others think or what others tell him to do.”
“Fears of a more alarming situation do not seem to have been much founded, as Pope Francis did indeed read the appeal at the end of Mass, and then followed it up with a frenzied rally in St. Peter's Square. “It seemed like he was able to make his rounds, greeting the crowd, before starting the difficult Holy Week at full speed,” Luboff said Sunday ahead of the pope's Easter speech. On Saturday night, he presided over the Easter Vigil, which was also uneventful.
On Maundy Thursday, the Pope washed the feet of 12 female prisoners at the Rebibbia prison on the outskirts of Rome, as scheduled. This was a tradition after Jesus Christ washed the feet of his disciples the night before his death.
Due to his mobility issues, he had to sit in a wheelchair, but he was still determined to carry out the tradition, perhaps adding even more value to a ceremony meant to emphasize humility. He also became the first Pope in history to wash the feet of only women on Maundy Thursday.
But on Good Friday, the Vatican announced at the last minute that the pope would not attend the Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum for Saturday's wake and Easter Mass “to protect his health.” The Pope, the Vatican, said: The event was scheduled to continue from his residence, Casa Santa Marta, and the white seats reserved for him at the Colosseum remained empty.
This is the second year in a row that the Pope will skip the Stations of the Cross. He did not attend because he had been discharged from the hospital a few days earlier, where he had been receiving intravenous antibiotics for bronchitis last year. However, while last year's absence was announced with just a few days' notice, this year's sudden cancellation has once again raised concerns.
Concerns about the Pope's declining health began in 2021, when he was rushed to hospital to have part of his colon removed. And in June 2023, without prior notice from the Vatican, he was admitted again to undergo abdominal surgery to remove internal scar tissue.
His mobility issues have worsened over the past year due to sciatica and severe knee pain. At first he started walking with a cane and has recently started using a wheelchair. In November, he canceled his scheduled trip to Dubai to attend COP28 three days early due to persistent lung inflammation.
The Pope's declining health has sparked wild speculation that he might retire in the same way his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, retired in 2013. But as the Pope says in his recently published autobiography, “Life: My Story Through History,” at least for now: , there is “no risk” of him resigning. “I believe that the service of the pope is lifelong,” Francis wrote. “So I don't think there's any good reason to abandon it.”
