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Pope Francis is expected to bring joy to Catholics around the world during an Easter celebration in the Vatican on Sunday, and in just a few weeks the severe pneumonia broke out that hospitalized and fought for his life.
The 88-year-old pope has been recovering since he was discharged from the hospital on March 23, after he had been staying for 38 days during which time he received intensive treatment.
Despite his lingering voice, Pope Francis is expected to bless the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” on the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square (GMT) (1000 GMT), a highlight of Easter Sunday and the most important celebration on the Christian calendar.
Although the Vatican has not officially confirmed his full participation, the Holy See’s press office has shown that Easter events may have a pope based on their health at the time.
Although the pope has made two public appearances recently without a nasal cannula where he has been using oxygen, he may still commission his Easter message (usually resolving global conflicts and humanitarian crises).
This Easter is the first time since the 2013 election that Pope Francis missed most of the Holy Week events. He was not at the Good Friday Station on the cross of the Good Friday and the Easter vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday night, with the Cardinal standing for him.
Nevertheless, the pope made a brief appearance at the cathedral on Saturday, greeting pilgrims and visitors, which made many hope for his condition.
More than 300 cardinals, bishops and pastors are expected to attend Sunday’s Easter Mass, which will commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Saint Peter’s Square will be decorated with thousands of flowers, and the event this year is expected to attract a larger crowd due to the Jubilee Year, an “holy year” observed every 25 years, bringing thousands of pilgrims to Rome.
Plus the importance of this occasion is the presence of US Vice President JD Vance, who held a weekend in Rome. On Saturday, he held a meeting with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and state relations minister Paul Richard Gallagher.
During Holy Week, Pope Francis obeyed the doctor’s orders to rest and avoid public duties. His only official engagement was a quiet visit to the Roman prison, where he skipped the traditional ritual of footsteps—a symbolic act that reflects the humility of Jesus Christ when baptizing the feet of his disciples.
When the prison visits, reporters asked him how he would deal with Easter in the present situation, the pope’s smile and a ras voice responded: “I do my best.”
Sources close to the Vatican show that the Pope has approached death twice during his recent illness, highlighting the severity of his condition.
This year’s Easter is particularly noteworthy as the same weekend for Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox communities falls on the same weekend, a rare calendar consistency that highlights the unification moment of Christian tradition.
