In the Vatican, the Easter Mass began without the Pope

In the Vatican, the Easter Mass began without the Pope

The great day of Easter at the Vatican began without the leadership of Pope Francis, as the 88-year-old pontiff continues to recover from a nearly fatal bout of double pneumonia.

This was reported by AP.

According to the publication, instead of the pontiff, Cardinal Angelo Comastri, the former archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, conducted an open-air mass in front of thousands of people on St. Peter’s Square on a cool but sunny spring morning.

Francis has appeared in public only a few times since returning to the Vatican on March 23 after a 38-day hospital stay. He missed the Good Friday and Holy Saturday services before Easter, but was expected to attend on Sunday, according to the mass booklet and liturgical plans released by the Vatican.

Easter at the Vatican typically includes a mass and the Pope’s Urbi et Orbi blessing (Latin for “to the city and the world”), a speech delivered from the loggia above the entrance to the basilica, which traditionally reviews global hotspots and human suffering.

As noted by the publication, Francis has significantly reduced his workload as he follows doctors’ recommendations for a two-month recovery and respiratory therapy to improve lung function. It seems that he still requires significant effort to speak, and his breathing remains strained.