Pope Francis at the last minute did not read the sermon during Palm Sunday Mass to tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square, but continued to preside over the ceremony, read the 12pm prayer and was driven through the crowd in a popemobile.
In recent weeks, the 87-year-old Pope has been suffering from bronchitis and flu and commissioned an assistant to read his speeches, but on Sunday (24) the prepared text was not read.
It is very rare for a Pope to completely miss a homily on an important event like Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy Week, an intense period leading up to Easter.
The Vatican gave no immediate explanation for why the Pope missed his homily. The Vatican television broadcast only showed the crowd for a few minutes, rather than a wide shot of the Pope.
A Vatican Radio announcer then said that the Pope had decided not to read the sermon. The Pope, dressed in red robes, continued to preside, reading parts of the mass.
Cardinals, priests and bishops participated in this ceremony that commemorates what the Bible says was Jesus' entry into Jerusalem days before he was betrayed, tried and executed by crucifixion.
The clerics, along with participants in a crowd estimated by Vatican police at around 60,000 people, held palm fronds and olive branches during the mass.
Francis suffers from a knee illness and has been presiding over masses for more than a year sitting near the altar, while a cardinal acts as the main celebrant.
After Mass, Francis delivered his weekly Sunday Angelus message and blessing from the altar and not from the window of the Apostolic Palace overlooking the square. This is not uncommon on important occasions.
In prayer, he condemned the attack that killed at least 133 people at a concert hall near Moscow as a vile and inhumane act that offends God.
He again asked for prayers for all those suffering from wars, mentioning Ukraine and Gaza.
At the end of the mass, Francisco was driven around the square in an open vehicle. He waved and smiled at the people in the crowd and didn't appear to be in any difficulty.
Source: CNN Brasil
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