Sickly Pope Francis to skip Good Friday procession for first time in a decade, due to cold weather and bronchitis
- It is the first time the pope will not preside at the ‘Via Crucis’ service since he was elected in 2013
- The last pope to skip a Good Friday service was Pope John Paul II, during the last weeks of his life in 2005
Pope Francis, who left hospital last weekend following a bout of bronchitis, will skip Friday night’s outdoor “Way of the Cross” procession due to cold weather, the Vatican said in a statement.
The 86-year-old pontiff will still attend an indoor Good Friday service earlier in St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in response to a question from Reuters.
It is the first time the pope will not preside at the “Via Crucis” service since he was elected in 2013. The event was moved to the Vatican during the Covid-19 pandemic and held in slimmed-down versions, but Francis presided.
The Vatican said Francis would follow the service, which usually lasts more than two hours and is attended by thousands of people, from his residence.
The temperature in Rome was expected to be about 10 degrees Celsius (50F) on Friday night. The temperature has fallen in recent days and a light snow fell on Rome’s outskirts on Thursday.
During the traditional service, the pope sits outdoors near the upper section of the Colosseum while participants move around the ancient monument.
