Pope Francis skips Good Friday procession in Rome to preserve his health for Easter events

Published: 29 March 2024 at 21:19

Religion

Pope Francis, 87, did not participate in the Good Friday Way of the Cross procession at the Colosseum in Rome to conserve his health for Easter, citing the need to prepare for the Easter vigil and Mass. He has been battling respiratory issues and recently missed events, including having parts of his lung and large intestine removed. His chair was set up at the event, but he followed the procession from his home. Despite concerns about his health, the Vatican confirmed he was in good form earlier during a liturgy at St Peter\'s Basilica.

Pope Francis Skips Homily During Palm Sunday Mass

Pope Francis skipped delivering his homily during the Palm Sunday Mass service at the Vatican, marking the beginning of Holy Week, due to recent health issues. Despite skipping the homily, he presided over the service, read prayers, and gave blessings. He also prayed for the people of Ukraine and condemned the Moscow concert hall shooting. The pope, who has been using a wheelchair for months, greeted cardinals individually and interacted with the crowd in St Peter\'s Square. This comes as part of his intense Holy Week schedule including visits to a prison and participation in Good Friday services.

Pope Francis Struggles with Lingering Respiratory and Mobility Issues

Pope Francis, aged 87, continues to face respiratory and mobility challenges, needing assistance to board his popemobile after a Vatican audience. Recent health issues include cold, bronchitis, flu, knee fracture, and inflamed ligaments, leading to wheelchair use. Despite struggles, he fulfills papal duties. In the past, he underwent surgeries including removal of part of a lung, colon, and repair of an abdominal hernia. The Pope\'s recent difficulties highlight his ongoing health battles, impacting his mobility and speaking ability.

Pope Francis Urges Priests to Avoid Hypocrisy and Show Mercy

Pope Francis delivered a set of orders to Rome-based priests, emphasizing the importance of avoiding clerical hypocrisy and showing mercy to the faithful. He presided over a Holy Thursday Mass, followed by washing inmates\' feet in a symbol of humility. Francis warned against judging others and urged repentance for personal sins. The upcoming days include leading various Easter rituals, testing his stamina. Notably, a major papal liturgy coincided with renovations at St Peter\'s Basilica. The busy schedule includes events like the Way of the Cross procession, Easter Vigil, and addresses on global conflicts.

Pope Francis Cancels Engagements Due to Mild Flu but Recovers for Sunday Angelus Prayer

Pope Francis cancelled an audience and engagements on Saturday due to a mild flu but recovered to lead his weekly Angelus prayer on Sunday. He expressed sorrow for the ongoing war in Ukraine and called for diplomatic solutions for peace. The 87-year-old pontiff has faced recent health issues, including bronchitis, lung scan, intestinal surgery, and abdominal hernia repair. Despite speculations about his health and potential resignation, Francis has denied immediate plans to step down.

Pope Francis Hospitalized in Rome for Flu Symptoms

Pope Francis, aged 87, was briefly hospitalized in Rome for diagnostic tests after suffering from flu symptoms, being seen at Gemelli Hospital on Tiber Island. This hospitalization follows his approval of Catholic priests offering blessings to same-sex couples. The Vatican clarified that these blessings do not signify approval of same-sex marriage. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops provided guidance to U.S. Catholics following this decision. Despite ongoing health issues, including recent respiratory illnesses, Pope Francis has indicated his readiness to step down if his health significantly deteriorates.

Pope Francis Washes and Kisses Feet of 12 Women Inmates at Rome Prison

Pope Francis, aged 87 and facing mobility issues, washed and kissed the feet of 12 women inmates at Rebibbia prison in Rome during the Holy Thursday ritual. This act of service and humility, part of the Holy Week ceremonies, emphasizes Jesus\' teachings of serving others. Francis has been including women and people of other faiths in this ritual since becoming pope in 2013. Despite recent health problems, Francis was energized during the visit, receiving gifts and regifting, and is set for a busy schedule leading up to Easter Sunday.

Pope Francis Reaffirms No Plans for Resignation in New Memoir

Pope Francis, 87, confirms in his autobiography that he has no intention of resigning due to good health, despite battling minor health issues, such as bronchitis and flu. He mentions the existence of a resignation letter in case of serious impediment but considers it a distant possibility. In the memoir, he addresses criticism, defends his decision to bless same-sex couples, supports civil unions over gay marriage, and emphasizes the church\'s duty to welcome all individuals, including sinners. He also denounces abortion and surrogate parenting and clarifies his stance on being labeled as communist or Marxist.

List of pastoral visits of Pope Francis (Wikipedia)

This is a list of pastoral visits of Pope Francis. His visit to the Philippines in January 2015 included the largest papal event in history with around 6–7 million attendees in his final Mass at Manila, surpassing the then-largest papal event at World Youth Day 1995 in the same venue twenty years earlier.

Pope Francis Appears in Better Health at Vatican Audience

Pope Francis, aged 87, walked into the Vatican audience hall with a cane for his weekly general audience, speaking clearly and renewing appeals for peace. He highlighted the friendship between two fathers, one Palestinian and the other Israeli, both having lost daughters in the Middle East conflict. Their story was featured in the novel \'Apeirogon\' by Colum McCann. The Pope met with the fathers privately before the audience, emphasizing their witness amid war and loss.

An AP photographer snags an unexpected image of the head of the Catholic Church

FILE - Pope Francis tries to catch his cap as wind blew it away while arriving for his weekly general audience in the St. Peters Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File) VATICAN CITY (AP) Having covered the Vatican for 27 years thats three popes Associated Press photographer Andrew Medichini has mastered snapping images of papal pomp. To capture this photo, Medichini knew exactly where to position himself based on the wind for a potential candid shot of Pope Francis. Here is what he said about making this extraordinary photo: After several years following popes in and out of the Vatican, you get to know where to be and how to anticipate the right frame according to the news or the conditions of the day windy, sunny, rainy, etc.

Pope Francis Defrocks Belgian Bishop for Sexual Abuse

Pope Francis has defrocked Roger Vangheluwe, an 87-year-old Belgian bishop who admitted to sexually abusing his nephews, after serious new elements in the case emerged. The Vatican\'s decision to laicize Vangheluwe, a symbol of Catholic Church hypocrisy in handling abuse cases, came ahead of the pope\'s planned visit to Belgium. The Belgian bishops had long called for Vangheluwe\'s expulsion from the priesthood, and the scandal has sparked national outrage and prompted discussions on abuse within the church in Belgium.

Argentine President Javier Milei meets Pope Francis amid speculation of the pontiff visiting Argentina

Argentine President Javier Milei and Pope Francis held a meeting in Rome, signaling a positive relationship between the two despite their rocky start. The meeting lasted for an hour and 10 minutes, with no translation required. Milei presented Francis with Argentine dulce de leche alfajor cookies and lemon biscuits, while Francis gave Milei documents of his papacy and a medallion. The previous day, Milei embraced Francis at the end of a Mass to declare Argentinas first female saint. The pope has expressed his hope to visit Argentina later this year, which has been well-received by the country\'s bishops.

Pope Francis Meets with Abuse Survivor in Rome Amidst Criticism of Church Response

Pope Francis met with a Spaniard who was molested by his spiritual director, highlighting the dysfunction in the Catholic Church\'s response to clergy sex abuse. The survivor\'s lack of justice despite efforts and the flaws in the church\'s system for addressing abuse were brought to light. Despite previous criticism, Francis\' decision to listen to the survivor\'s story was seen as commendable, but also revealed systemic issues within the church\'s handling of abuse cases. An unprecedented summit convened by Francis five years ago aimed to address clergy abuse on a global scale.

Pope Francis (Wikipedia)

Pope Francis (Latin: Franciscus; Italian: Francesco; Spanish: Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church, the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State. He is the first pope to be a member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), the first one from the Americas, the first one from the Southern Hemisphere, and the first one born or raised outside Europe since the 8th-century papacy of the Syrian Pope Gregory III.Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio worked for a time as a bouncer and a janitor as a young man before training to be a chemist and working as a technician in a food science laboratory. After recovering from a severe illness of pneumonia and cysts, he was inspired to join the Jesuits in 1958. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969, and from 1973 to 1979 was the Jesuit provincial superior in Argentina. He became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was created a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. He led the Argentine Church during the December 2001 riots in Argentina. The administrations of Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner considered him to be a political rival.Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on 28 February 2013, a papal conclave elected Bergoglio as his successor on 13 March. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Throughout his public life, Francis has been noted for his humility, emphasis on God's mercy, international visibility as pope, concern for the poor, and commitment to interreligious dialogue. He is credited with having a less formal approach to the papacy than his predecessors, for instance choosing to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse rather than in the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace used by previous popes.Francis has made women full members of dicasteries in the Roman Curia. He maintains that the Catholic Church should be more sympathetic toward members of the LGBT community and has permitted the blessings of same-sex couples. Francis is a critic of unbridled capitalism, consumerism, and overdevelopment; he has made action on climate change a leading focus of his papacy. Widely interpreted as denouncing the death penalty as intrinsically evil, he has termed it "an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person", "inadmissible", and committed the Church to its abolition, saying that there can be "no going back from this position".In international diplomacy, Francis has criticized the rise of right-wing populism, called for the decriminalization of homosexuality, helped to restore full diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba, negotiated a deal with China to define how much influence the Communist Party has in appointing Chinese bishops, and has supported the cause of refugees during the European and Central American migrant crises, calling on the Western World to significantly increase immigration levels. In 2022, he apologized for the Church's role in the "cultural genocide" of the Canadian indigenous peoples. On 4 October 2023, Francis convened the beginnings of the Synod on Synodality, described as the culmination of his papacy and the most important event in the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council.

Theology of Pope Francis (Wikipedia)

Elected on 13 March 2013, Francis is the first member of the Society of Jesus to be appointed pope and the first non-European to hold the office since the 8th century. He described his papal name as pointing to what he wants to emulate in Saint Francis of Assisi: to have a poor church, for the poor, always going out to the margins, and to show concern for the natural environment. His papal motto Miserando atque eligendo ("by having mercy and by choosing") contains a central theme of his papacy, God's mercy, which has led to conflict with orthodox Catholics on issues such as reception of Communion by remarried Catholics. In addressing real life situations he often appeals directly to his experience, in continuity with his synodal way, which showed a renewed emphasis on listening and dialogue. He has placed greater emphasis on church synods and on widespread consultation and dialogue, uplifting the roles of laypersons and of women in the Catholic church and criticizing clericalism.Francis' concern for the poor is noted in his critiques of capitalism, his quite visible support of refugees and migrants, and his outreach to liberationist, anarchist, communist, socialist and liberal movements in Latin America that were under a cloud during the papacy of John Paul II. Francis has stated that he considers himself to be conservative.His apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium (Joy of the Gospel), released eight months after his election, has been described as programmatic, and "a core document of this pontificate", in his own words "pointing out new paths for the Church's journey for years to come". He has become known also for his "sharp and unscripted remarks".

Pope Francis calls for Ukraine to have courage and negotiate end to war with Russia

Pope Francis, in an interview with Swiss broadcaster RSI, urged Ukraine to negotiate an end to the war with Russia following Moscow\'s invasion, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, while desiring peace, is firm on not surrendering any territory. The Pope emphasized the importance of having the courage to negotiate and engage in talks with the assistance of international powers.

List of saints canonized by Pope Francis (Wikipedia)

This article contains a list of the 912 saintscanonizedby Pope Francis (2013–) during his pontificate, which includes the 813 Martyrs of Otranto as a group, 7 whom were equipollently canonized and 4 whom were canonized in other countries.

Pope (Wikipedia)

The pope (Latin: papa, from Ancient Greek: πάππας, romanized: páppas, lit. 'father'), also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Catholic Church, and has also served as the head of state or sovereign of the Papal States and later the Vatican City State since the eighth century. From a Catholic viewpoint, the primacy of the bishop of Rome is largely derived from his role as the apostolic successor to Saint Peter, to whom primacy was conferred by Jesus, who gave Peter the Keys of Heaven and the powers of "binding and loosing", naming him as the "rock" upon which the Church would be built. The current pope is Francis, who was elected on 13 March 2013.While his office is called the papacy, the jurisdiction of the episcopal see is called the Holy See. It is the Holy See that is the sovereign entity by international law headquartered in the distinctively independent Vatican City State, a city-state which forms a geographical enclave within the conurbation of Rome, established by the Lateran Treaty in 1929 between Italy and the Holy See to ensure its temporal and spiritual independence. The Holy See is recognized by its adherence at various levels to international organizations and by means of its diplomatic relations and political accords with many independent states.According to Catholic tradition, the apostolic see of Rome was founded by Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the first century. The papacy is one of the most enduring institutions in the world and has had a prominent part in human history. In ancient times, the popes helped spread Christianity and intervened to find resolutions in various doctrinal disputes. In the Middle Ages, they played a role of secular importance in Western Europe, often acting as arbitrators between Christian monarchs. In addition to the expansion of Christian faith and doctrine, modern popes are involved in ecumenism and interfaith dialogue, charitable work, and the defense of human rights.Over time, the papacy accrued broad secular and political influence, eventually rivaling those of territorial rulers. In recent centuries, the temporal authority of the papacy has declined and the office is now largely focused on religious matters. By contrast, papal claims of spiritual authority have been increasingly firmly expressed over time, culminating in 1870 with the proclamation of the dogma of papal infallibility for rare occasions when the pope speaks ex cathedra—literally 'from the chair (of Saint Peter)'—to issue a formal definition of faith or morals. The pope is considered one of the world's most powerful people due to the extensive diplomatic, cultural, and spiritual influence of his position on both 1.3 billion Catholics and those outside the Catholic faith, and because he heads the world's largest non-government provider of education and health care, with a vast network of charities.

Francis of Assisi (Wikipedia)

Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone (c. 1181 – 3 October 1226), known as Francis of Assisi, was an Italian mystic, poet and Catholic friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans. He was inspired to lead a Christian life of poverty as a beggar and itinerant preacher. One of the most venerated figures in Christianity, Francis was canonized by Pope Gregory IX on 16 July 1228. He is commonly portrayed wearing a brown habit with a rope tied around his waist, featuring three knots that symbolize the three Franciscan vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.In 1219, he went to Egypt in an attempt to convert the sultan al-Kamil and put an end to the conflict of the Fifth Crusade. In 1223, he arranged for the first live nativity scene as part of the annual Christmas celebration in Greccio. According to Christian tradition, in 1224 Francis received the stigmata during the apparition of a Seraphic angel in a religious ecstasy.He founded the men's Order of Friars Minor, the women's Order of St. Clare, the Third Order of St. Francis and the Custody of the Holy Land. Once his community was authorized by Pope Innocent III, he withdrew increasingly from external affairs.Francis is associated with patronage of animals and the environment. It became customary for churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on his feast day of the fourth of October. He is known for devotion to the Eucharist. Along with Catherine of Siena, he was designated patron saint of Italy. He is also the namesake of the American city of San Francisco.

Pope Francis and LGBT topics (Wikipedia)

Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church since 2013, has marked a significantly more accommodative tone on LGBT topics than his predecessors. In July 2013, his televised "Who am I to judge?" statement was widely reported in the international press, becoming one of his most famous statements on LGBT people. In other public statements, Francis has emphasised the need to accept, welcome, and accompany LGBT people, including LGBT children, and has denounced laws criminalising homosexuality. While he has reiterated traditional Catholic teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman, he has supported same-sex civil unions as legal protections for same-sex couples. Under his pontificate, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has confirmed that transgender people can be baptised, and allowed the blessing of same-sex couples in the document Fiducia supplicans. Francis has privately met many LGBT people and activists. In 2013, Francis was named as Person of the Year by The Advocate, an American LGBT magazine.Relative to LGB topics, Francis has been less accomodative on transgender topics, describing gender theory and children's education on gender-affirming surgery as "ideological colonisation". In September 2015, Francis came under media scrutiny for meeting Kim Davis, a county clerk who was imprisoned for refusing to issue marriage licences for same-sex couples, and in August 2018, Francis was criticised for suggesting that gay children seek psychiatric treatment. Prior to his election as Pope Francis, as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio led public opposition to the parliamentary bill on legalising same-sex marriage in Argentina, which was approved by the Argentine Senate on 15 July 2010. A letter he wrote in that campaign was criticised for using "medieval" and "obscurantist" language, and was later admitted by an episcopal source to be a strategic error that contributed to the bill's success.