Pope Francis attended the Easter Vigil at the Vatican on Saturday, a day after questions about his health were reignited after his attendance at a large Good Friday procession was canceled at the last minute.
The 87-year-old pope arrived to preside over the Easter Vigil in St. Peter's Basilica before thousands of pilgrims from around the world.
The Vatican had confirmed on the same day that the Pope would attend.
Francis was to preach and then baptize eight adults after the rite of light in the cathedral plunged into darkness to symbolize Christ's transition from death to life.
Sunday's Easter Mass, followed by the “Urbi e Orbi” blessing, will be broadcast live around the world.
“To protect his health ahead of tomorrow's wake and Easter Mass, Pope Francis will tonight follow the Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum from his Santa Marta residence,” the Vatican said in a short statement Friday. It is alive.
Pope skips Good Friday procession at the last minute 'to protect his health'
Pope skips Good Friday procession at the last minute 'to protect his health'
Saturday's headline in the Italian daily La Stampa was “The Way of the Cross of the Vulnerable Pope,” while Il Messaggero spoke of “Francis's renunciation.”
Vatican officials told Agence France-Presse on Friday that there were “no particular concerns” about his health and that the decision to withdraw was “simply a precautionary measure.”
The Argentine Jesuits also canceled their participation in the 2023 Via Crucis, which was announced long ago after they were hospitalized for three days with bronchitis. A few weeks later, he underwent hernia surgery.
Holy Week is a mainstay of the Catholic calendar and includes a series of observances leading up to Easter itself.
Until Friday, the pope had been attending various Holy Week events, but in recent days he seemed tired, sometimes delegating speaking duties to colleagues.
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Pope Francis washes the feet of 12 female prisoners during break after Holy Week
Pope Francis washes the feet of 12 female prisoners during break after Holy Week
But Francis wrote in his memoirs published this month that there was “no reason serious enough to consider resigning.”
Resignation was a “remote possibility” and would only be justified in the case of “serious physical disability,” he wrote.
