Pope Francis skips Palm Sunday homily at start of busy Holy Week that will test his health

Just before the Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis made a quick decision to avoid giving a tiring speech that could worsen his fragile health. This week is important and demanding for him, so he wisely chose to conserve his energy.

Due to his troublesome knees and ongoing respiratory issues, Francis was unable to join in the cardinals' parade around the obelisk at the beginning of the Mass. Instead, the 87-year-old Pope kindly blessed the palm fronds and olive branches that the faithful were carrying from the altar.

It was anticipated that Francis would give a talk during the service, and a written version of it had been given to reporters. However, when an assistant handed him his glasses to start reading, the pope indicated that he had no intention of giving the speech, causing the audience to wait in stillness.

The reason for this was not immediately clarified by officials from the Vatican. However, it was later stated by the Vatican press office that the sermon was substituted with a time of quiet contemplation and prayer.

During the service, Francis recited prayers and gave a lengthy speech advocating for peace. He expressed his hope for the families who lost loved ones in a brutal attack at a music venue in outer Moscow, which he called a cruel act. Furthermore, Francis requested for everyone to pray for the people of Ukraine who were tragically killed and for those suffering in Gaza.

Vatican representatives approximated that around 60,000 individuals participated in the Mass that took place on a clear and windy spring day. Following the service, Pope Francis serenaded the crowd by taking multiple turns around the piazza, greeting them from the pope mobile for a couple of minutes.

The week leading up to Easter Sunday is a busy time for Francis, starting with Palm Sunday. This is a special day for Christians as they remember the resurrection of Christ. On Thursday, Francis will visit a women's prison in Rome to carry out the traditional washing of the feet ceremony. Then, on Friday, he will lead the Way of the Cross procession at the Colosseum in Rome. This event, lit up by torches, is a re-enactment of Christ's crucifixion.

On the day after, it's time for the Easter Vigil which is a significant nighttime ceremony led by Francis in the basilica. This is then followed by the Easter Sunday Mass held in St. Peter's Square where Francis will give his midday blessing from the loggia.

Even in the most ideal circumstances, being the Pope during Holy Week can be a difficult schedule to keep. However, this year, it is proving to be even more challenging for Francis. He has been fighting off what the Vatican has described as a cold, bronchitis, or the flu throughout the entire winter. To conserve his energy, he has been having an assistant read his speeches and catechism lessons to him occasionally for the past few weeks.

Last Sunday, nobody was appointed as a replacement and the speech was not given. Representatives of the Vatican stated that the readied material should be treated as if it never existed at all. Typically, the pope does not give a sermon during Easter, but he customarily shares his thoughts on Palm Sunday.

Despite not being ill, Francis frequently talks in a low tone and appears to be quickly out of breath. In his youth, he underwent surgery to extract a section of his lung due to a respiratory ailment.

Around this same time last year, he was admitted into a medical facility for a duration of three days as a result of a severe bronchitis attack. Nevertheless, he was able to recover in time for Holy Week. During his pontificate, he has been admitted to the hospital twice previously as a result of abdominal surgery, with one instance resulting in a 10-day stay in 2021 to remove a part of his large intestine.

Towards the conclusion of the Mass, Francis prayed for an extended period for all those affected by war to experience peace. Additionally, he prayed for the Lord's comfort to be felt by the individuals who were victims of the "atrocious terrorist assault" in Moscow.

"May he change the hearts of those individuals who are responsible for protecting, planning and executing these barbaric acts which go against the teachings of God. He strictly instructed us to refrain from taking another person's life," expressed Francis.

Francis urged his followers not to overlook the agony of Ukraine, even though he didn't mention Moscow specifically. He raised awareness of the fact that numerous Ukrainians are currently facing power outage, due to severe strikes on infrastructure. These attacks not only cause fatalities and inflict pain on the populace, but also pose a grave danger of a larger-scale humanitarian crisis.

He urged not to neglect Ukraine, which has lost many of its people in the fight for freedom. Additionally, he asked to extend our sympathy towards Gaza, where countless people are facing immense struggle amidst ongoing warfare. We must not forget the many other conflict zones across the world where loss and devastation are similarly observed.