Posted on 04/07/2023 1:50:50 PM PDT by MeganC
Recently hospitalised Pope Francis will miss the traditional Good Friday Way of the Cross procession at the Colosseum, and instead will watch from his home at the Vatican due to unseasonably cold night-time temperatures in Rome, the Holy See said.
"Due to the intense cold of these days, Pope Francis will follow the Way of the Cross this evening from (the) Santa Marta hotel, uniting in prayer with those who will gather with the Diocese of Rome at the Colosseum,'' the Vatican said in a brief statement.
Francis went ahead with an early evening prayer service at St. Peter's Basilica to mark Good Friday, which recalls the suffering and death of Jesus by crucifixion. Wearing crimson-coloured vestments, Francis, who has a chronic knee problem, used a wheelchair to reach the central area of the basilica and preside over the service.
The 86-year-old pope was discharged from a Rome hospital on April 1 after spending three days there receiving antibiotics intravenously for bronchitis. The Vatican said at the time that he would carry out the complete Holy Week schedule, including attending the Way of the Cross procession and Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.
During the Good Friday basilica ceremony, Francis listened to a long homily by the Vatican's official preacher. The pope at times sounded hoarse while reading aloud and when he gave his blessing at the end of the nearly two-hour long service. At one point, he stood up to kiss a figure of Jesus on a tall cross which was brought to him, then bowed his head in silent reflection.
While Rome has lately experienced spring-like weather during the day to Rome, temperatures have dipped to about four degrees Celsius after dark.
The procession usually draws tens of thousands of pilgrims, tourists and Rome residents. The faithful take turns carrying a lightweight cross as meditations and prayers are recited. The pontiff usually watches the procession from a rise overlooking the Colosseum, and ends the event with remarks and a blessing.
Francis is also scheduled to preside at an Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday night in the basilica. On Sunday, he is due to be in St. Peter's Square for a mid-morning Mass. And he is expected to deliver a long speech that reviews wars and other conflicts in the world, known by its Latin name, “Urbi et Orbi.”
That is certainly the truth-there are African Cardinals who would be excellent as the next pope-someone who would follow God’s word instead of the communist party line of their former country in S America...
I’m praying-literally-that it is-we need another pope like Benedict or JP-it would be great to like being Catholic again...How would we know?
Democrats are all Catholics and Catholics are all Democrats. Except Francis is a Communist, but I repeat myself.
That is not cold-It is 52-chilly- and raining here right now-in the 40’s last night-and this isn’t even Rome...
The smoke being blown up people’s nether regions right now by the vatican isn’t holy...
So he’s missing the “Way of the Cross” procession because of the cold weather? Is he aware of the brutal torture and sacrifices endured by Jesus while being forced to carry his own Cross?
I only know one Catholic around here who is a democrat-and she drives nearly 50 miles to the city to Mass because she doesn’t want to attend at our parish church with all the republicans-she doesn’t even socialize or work with republicans-in this conservative rural area, that whole family is an oddity.
I think Francis is apostate-he wouldn’t be the 1st pope in history who was believed to be so...
That's a heck of a carbon footprint.
She’s a cafeteria Catholic/CINO like most liberals-drives a 4x4 SUV/truck like just about everyone else here, but I doubt that she has any idea what carbon is-not the sharpest knife in the drawer-she doesn’t even shop in this county, supporting our local family businesses-drives to the big boxes in the city for groceries and everything else-I don’t get why she lives out here at all...
Like the cult started by Mad Marty in 1517? The one that says everyone if their own leader?
How did that work out for y’all?
Interesting difference. Thank you.
Did New York’s dictator allow Jewish High Holy Days to continue in 2020 - 2021?
In Rome today, it was 61 deg F at noon, 59 deg at 3 pm.
This is a topic that has not been sufficiently addressed from a legal standpoint. We had health officials taking on more power than local sheriffs. It has never been delineated as to what powers these type of individuals have in terms of prohibiting free exercise of religion. Not to mention every day freedoms such as going to a store to get provisions to feed your family. As to New York officials and free exercise of religion pertaining to Jews during that. I seem to recall everything was shut down.
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