Pope Francis, still recovering from double pneumonia, did not attend the annual procession held on Friday (18) at the Colosseum of Rome, with thousands of Catholic faithful, for the third consecutive year.
The 88-year-old pontiff, which is limiting his public appearances by medical order, did not appear to an outdoor ceremony on Holy Friday, the day Christians celebrate the crucifixion of Jesus.
The sacred road at the Colosseum, which is believed to have been a martyrdom place for early Christians, is a reconstitution of Jesus’ death.
Participants take turns carrying the cross of crucifixion as they walk inside and around the ancient Roman arena, stopping to pray and hear meditations.
Holy Friday takes Easter Sunday, the most important date of the church’s liturgical calendar-celebrating the day Christians believe that Jesus was risen.
Francisco, pontiff since 2013, was hospitalized during his five weeks treating double pneumonia.
He also did not attend the Colosseum event, which usually occurs in the coldest climate of spring in 2023 and 2024.
The Holy See stated that the Pope had personally written the meditations for this year’s ceremony, for the second time in his 12 years of papacy.
The reflections, each starting with a brief reading of the Bible, were short and addressed topics such as war, economic difficulties, and the place of women in the Catholic Church.
The Vatican has not yet reported whether Francis will participate in other Easter celebrations over the weekend.
The pontiff also did not attend a previous ceremony at the Vatican on Thursday (17).
Jd Vance, vice president of the United States, and his family, visiting Italy for Easter, were among the participants of the event.
This content was originally published in Papa Francisco does not appear in an annual procession of Holy Friday in Rome on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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