Pope Francis, still recovering from a recent bout of pneumonia, will take a less active role in the upcoming Holy Week services.
Cardinals have been appointed to lead the most significant liturgical events in his stead, marking a notable shift in the Vatican’s most solemn period.
While the 88-year-old pontiff is expected to make limited appearances, his participation will be significantly reduced compared to previous years.
This follows a concerning health scare that saw him hospitalised for five weeks with severe double pneumonia.
Despite the seriousness of his illness, Francis has shown signs of improvement, making a surprise appearance at the end of Palm Sunday Mass and engaging in private prayer visits within the Vatican.
The Pope’s recovery is progressing, with reports indicating a decreased reliance on supplemental oxygen.
He recently held his first formal audience since returning to the Vatican on March 23, meeting with the medical staff of the Gemelli hospital who oversaw his care.
During the audience, he expressed his gratitude for their support and requested their continued prayers. This interaction signals a gradual return to his official duties, though the extent of his involvement in Holy Week observances remains limited.
“Thank you for everything you did,” Francis said, his voice still laboured but seemingly stronger as he continues respiratory and physical therapy.
He gave special thanks to the rector of Gemelli’s affiliated Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Elena Beccalli, whom he praised for her strong leadership. “When women command, things go well,” he said in his longest public remarks since his hospitalisation.
Francis has delegated the demanding Holy Week liturgical celebrations to hand-picked cardinals, but the Vatican says the pope himself composed the meditations that will be read aloud by others during the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) procession on Friday night at Rome’s Colosseum.
The Holy Thursday Mass, for example, during which the oils used in liturgical rituals throughout the year are blessed, was being celebrated by the retired head of the Vatican’s patrimony office, Cardinal Domenico Calcagno. Friday’s solemn commemoration of the crucifixion of Christ was assigned to Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, who heads the Vatican office in charge of eastern rite Catholics. Easter Sunday was assigned to the retired administrator of St. Peter’s, Cardinal Angelo Comastri.
It remains to be seen how Francis will handle Easter Sunday’s traditional “Urbi et Orbi” speech and blessing (Latin for “to the city and the world”). Normally the pope delivers a sometimes lengthy discourse on the state of the world from the loggia of St. Peter’s, and then imparts a special blessing to the faithful in the piazza below. In theory someone else could read the speech while Francis could impart the blessing.
Francis was admitted to Gemelli on February 14 with bronchitis that quickly developed into a life-threatening case of double pneumonia.
Upon his release on March 23, doctors prescribed two months of convalescence at the Vatican with daily respiratory and physical therapy to improve his breathing and vocal function. With time, they have predicted he will be able to resume his normal activities.
