Ciudad Vaticana (AP) – The Vatican in Thorsday opened the most solemn period of Holy Week with a Pope Francis in recovery to a large extent to the margin, since the cardinals were designated to occupy their place that preside over the most important liturgical services they conduct.
Francis, 88, did not appear at the Mass of Holy Thorsday in the Basilica of San Pedro. But there were reports not confirmed in the Italian media that expected to visit the central prison of Rome later a day to maintain an appointment that has been accompanied through his 12 -year -old papacy: to commemorate the last fortunate of Christ his crucifixion. Your crucifixion. His crucifixion of his.
The Vatican refused to confirm or deny the reports, which emphasized that anyone would be private and depositing in the condition of Francis. But it also seemed plausible, given Francis’s emphasis on ministering prisoners, particularly during the Holy Year 2025 that he opened and will close with special papal events for inmates.
Francis is expected to be recovering from a double life combat or pneumonia this winter, at least some Easter appearances. He made a surprise cameo at the end of Ramos’ Mass last weekend and in recent days he has made visits to the ads, including one in which he was dressed in his papal white cassock bags, to pray in the Basilica of San Pedro and St. Mary Major.
According to all indications, he continues to improve after his stay in the five -week hospital and slowly resumes some of his normal activities. In recent exits, it has bone sea without the nasal tubes that provide supplementary oxygen and Vatican officials say that it is less and less depends on the therapy.
Francis received medical workers who treated him
On Wednesday, Francis celebrated his first formal group hearing since he returned to the Vatican on March 23, meeting with the medical staff of the Gemelli Hospital who took care of his stay at the 38 -day door. He met in a Vatican audience room, Francis thanked the more than 70 doctors, nurses and administrators and asked for their continuous sentences.
“Thank you for everything you did,” Francis said, his voice still worked but apparently stronger while continuing respiratory and physiotherapy.
The great special thanks to the rector of the affiliate Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Gemelli, Elena Beccalli, whom he praised for his strong leadership. “When women order, things are going well,” he said in his longest public comments since his hospitalization.
Francis has delegated the demanding liturgical celebrations of Holy Week to the cardinals selected by hand, but the Vatican says that Pope himself composed the meditations that others will read in voice
The Sacred Mass of the Day, for example, during which the oils used in liturgical rituals through the year were blessed, was celebrated by the remote boss of the Vatican Heritage Office, Cardinal Domenico Calcagno. The solemn commemoration of Friday before the crucifixion of Christ was assigned to Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, who directs the Vatican office by the Catholics of the Eastern rite. Easter Sunday was assigned to the retired administrator of St. Peter’s, Cardinal Angelo Comastri.
It remains to be seen how Francis will handle the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” of Easter Sunday (Latin to “to the city and the world”) speech and blessing after the Mass. Normally, the Pope offers a speech sometimes careless about the state of the world from the Lodge of San Pedro, and then prevents a special blessing from the faithful in the Piazza below. In theory, someone else could read the speech, while Francis could impart the blessing.
Francis was admitted in Gemelli on February 14 with bronchitis that quickly became a case of double pneumonia. After their release on March 23, doctors prescribed two months of convalescence in the Vatican with a daily respiratory and physiotic therapy to improve their breathing and vocal function. Over time, they have predicted that they can resume their normal activities.