ROME: Pope Francis, who is recovering from bronchitis and last week spent three nights in the hospital, will not attend the traditional “Way of the Cross” prayer service on Good Friday, the Vatican said.
It will be the first time Francis, 86, has missed the annual service, which falls two days before Easter — Christianity’s most important holiday — in the ten years of his papacy.
“Due to the intense cold of the past days, Pope Francis will follow this evening’s Way of the Cross from Casa Santa Marta, joining the prayer of those who will gather in Rome at the Colosseum,” the Vatican said in a short statement.
Santa Marta is the Argentine pontiff’s residence within the Vatican.
This week, an unusual cold streak in Rome has seen night-time temperatures fall to 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit).
Christians commemorate Good Friday as the day Jesus Christ died on the cross.
The Way of the Cross service commemorates the 14 stations of Jesus’ suffering and death, from his condemnation to his burial. The open-air procession, which begins at 1900 GMT, takes place outside the Coliseum.
Pope Francis’s health
Francis was discharged from a Rome hospital on April 1 after a three-night stay for a bronchial infection. The pontiff has suffered increasing health issues in recent years, and it was his second stay in the hospital since 2021.
However, Francis still plans to preside over mass on Friday at St Peter’s Basilica. He has participated in various events since his hospital release, including washing the feet of 12 young prisoners on Holy Thursday.
He is expected to lead Easter mass at St Peter’s Square on Sunday.
