VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis, who has just turned 88 and is suffering from a severe cold, will lead the Angelus on Sunday from inside his residence as a precaution, the Vatican said in a statement on Saturday.
She added that the decision was taken due to the cold weather in Rome and the Pope’s obligations during the upcoming Christmas week.
Pope Francis, who has been pope since 2013, had complained of the effects of a cold during an audience on Friday, but earlier on Saturday he was well enough to deliver his annual Christmas address to the cardinals.
The Pope will offer the Angelus prayer on Sunday from the small church in the Santa Marta neighborhood of the Vatican where he lives, rather than addressing pilgrims from a window overlooking St. Peter's Square.
Francis has suffered bouts of ill health in recent years. When he was 21, Jorge Bergoglio contracted pleurisy and had part of one of his lungs removed in his native Argentina.
He had suffered from influenza and related problems several times since the beginning of 2023, which led to the cancellation of a trip scheduled to attend the COP28 climate meeting in Dubai last year due to the effects of influenza and pneumonia.
He delivered the Angelus from Santa Marta last December while recovering from a bout of influenza.
The coming days are expected to be particularly intense because in addition to regular Christmas Masses, the Pope will also celebrate the beginning of the Holy Year or Jubilee on Christmas Eve, December 24.
The Pope is scheduled to open the bronze door of St. Peter's Basilica, which symbolizes the door of salvation for Catholics and is usually closed, at the beginning of the jubilee.
Such Holy Years are usually held every 25 years, and this year is expected to attract millions of additional visitors to the Vatican and Rome.
