Pope Francis Cancels Good Friday Procession for Health Reasons

Pope Francis made a last-minute cancellation of his earlier scheduled Good Friday procession attendance which was scheduled to be held at Rome’s Colosseum. The Vatican said the decision was “to preserve his health” ahead of a packed engagement during the Easter week.

Today and tomorrow, the pontiff is expected to participate in an Easter Vigil service on Saturday evening and Easter Mass on Sunday. Pope Francis will also partake in the bi-annual “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and world) ritual where he sends messages and blessings on Easter Sunday morning. 

The health of the 87-year-old has been a source of concern of late and the sudden cancellation of the procession participation will renew concerns about his wellbeing and declining strength. Pope Francis makes use of a wheelchair and a cane to move around due to a knee ailment. He has also suffered recurring influenza and bronchitis.

Pope Francis’ sudden absence was announced during the Way of the Cross

Good Friday events usually start with “Via Crucis” (Way of the Cross) which is often dramatized to depict the sufferings of Jesus Christ from the time he was captured to the time he was crucified. It is one of the most important days of the Church’s liturgical calendar because the church’s faith is centered around the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Vatican announced that the pope would be absent from the Via Crucis procession just when it was about to start. They explained that he would remotely follow the procession from his Vatican residence. This is the second time in a row that Pope Francis is missing the procession. Last year, he missed the procession because he was recovering from a four-day hospitalization for bronchitis.

For the first time in his 11-year papacy, Pope Francis wrote the meditations for this year. Added to the meditations were praises for meekness and forgiveness of evil acts and prayers for victims of wars and Christians persecuted across the globe.

Pope Francis continues to push for greater women's participation in the church

The pope renewed his call for the Church to be less male-dominated and praised the women who assisted Jesus during his painful trip to crucifixion. He made a case for women “who in our own day are exploited and endure injustice and indignity”.

Another sign that the pontiff used to demonstrate the inclusion of women in the Church was the washing of women’s feet at a women’s prison in Rome. The ritual commemorates Jesus’ gesture of humility to his apostles at the Last Supper which he urged them to emulate.

Before missing the evening procession, Francis joined bishops and cardinals on Friday morning for the Passion of the Lord service in St Peter’s Basilica. The celebration featured chants in Latin that recounted the events from the arrest of Jesus to his burial. In the earlier years of his papacy, Francis started the service by prostrating on the floor of the basilica. However, he is now unable to do that due to his frail state. He now arrives in a wheelchair and prays silently in front of the main altar.