Pope Francis, who just turned 88 and is suffering from a bad cold, led the regular Angelus prayer from inside his residence this Sunday (22).
Francis, who has been pope since 2013, complained of cold symptoms during an audience on Friday (20), but managed to deliver his annual Christmas address to the cardinals on Saturday (21).
The pope celebrated Mass in the Vatican’s St. Martha’s chapel, where he lives, rather than addressing pilgrims from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
During the ceremony, he addressed the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine and said he was following with attention and concern the news of deaths in Mozambique following the passage of a cyclone.
Francisco has suffered from several health problems in recent years. When he was 21, he developed pleurisy and had part of one of his lungs removed in his native Argentina.
Intense Christmas for Pope Francis
The next few days are expected to be intense for Pope Francis because, in addition to regular Christmas services, he will also mark the beginning of the Holy Year or Jubilee on Christmas Eve, December 24.
The pope is expected to open the bronze door of St. Peter’s Basilica, which symbolizes the door of salvation for Catholics and is normally sealed, for the start of the Jubilee.
The Holy Years are normally held every 25 years and are expected to attract millions of visitors to the Vatican and Rome.
This content was originally published in With a severe cold, Pope Francis celebrates Sunday Mass at home on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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