Pope Francis took part in the Easter Vigil service at the Vatican on Saturday after the cancellation of his presence at an important Good Friday procession renewed questions over his health.
The pontiff, 87, presided over the Easter Vigil at Saint Peter’s Basilica with the presence of thousands of pilgrims from around the globe shortly before 7:30 pm.
The pope, wearing white, arrived in a wheelchair not long before the two-hour service a day after calling off his appearance at the Stations of the Cross (Via Crucis).
The Vatican had confirmed his attendance earlier in the day.
Francis delivered a homily and baptized eight adults after the right of light, when the basilica becomes dark to symbolize Christ’s passage from death to life.
Sunday’s Easter Mass and the “Urbi et Orbi” blessing that comes afterwards will be broadcast live.
“To preserve his health ahead of tomorrow’s vigil and the Easter Sunday mass, Pope Francis will this evening follow the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum from the Santa Marta Residence,” the Vatican said in a statement.
The last-minute cancelation and the absence of detail in the statement led to doubts over the pope’s health and questions as to how long he can continue as the head of the Catholic Church.
A Vatican source informed AFP there was “no particular concern” over his health but instead, the decision to cancel had been “simply a measure of caution.”
Francis had also pulled out of participating in the “Via Crucis” in 2023 but it came after a three-day hospital stay for bronchitis, and was announced in advance.
Holy Week is a highly important part of the Catholic calendar, with a series of ceremonies ahead of Easter Sunday itself.
The pope had attended Holy Week events until Friday but he recently appeared tired and delegated some of his speaking roles to others.
He called off a much-anticipated attendance at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai in December, and his last trip was in September to the French city of Marseille.
Francis in a memoir published this month wrote he did “not have any cause serious enough to make me think of resigning.”
