Pope Francis, still recovering, skips Rome’s annual Good Friday procession

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VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis, still recovering from double pneumonia, did not attend an annual procession on Friday at Rome’s Colosseum with thousands of Catholic faithful for the third year in a row.

The 88-year-old pontiff, who is limiting his public appearances on doctors’ orders, skipped an outdoor ceremony for Good Friday, the day Christians mark Jesus’ crucifixion.

The Via Crucis at the Colosseum, which is believed to have been a place of martyrdom for early Christians, is a re-enactment of Jesus’ death.

Participants take turns holding the cross of his crucifixion as they walk in and around the ancient Roman arena, stopping to pray and hear meditations.

Good Friday leads on Sunday to Easter, the most important date in the Church’s liturgical calendar – commemorating the day Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead.

Francis, pope since 2013, nearly died during his five-week bout with double pneumonia. He also skipped the Colosseum event, which often takes place in cooler Spring weather, in 2023 and 2024.

The Vatican said Francis had personally written the meditations for the ceremony this year, for the second time in his 12-year papacy.

The reflections, each starting with a brief Bible reading, were short and addressed themes including war, economic difficulties, and the place of women in the Catholic Church.

The Vatican has not yet said whether Francis will attend other Easter services over the weekend.

The pope also skipped an earlier ceremony at the Vatican on Thursday. U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his family, visiting Italy for Easter, were among attendees at that event.

(Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Editing by Sandra Maler)