- The Pope is present but does not preside over a long service
- Francis suffers from sciatica and knee pain
- The Ukrainian mayor, who was detained by Russians, attended a liturgy
VATICAN CITY, April 16 (Reuters) – Pope Francis condemned the brutality of the war in Ukraine on Saturday at an Easter vigil he attended but did not chair, presumably due to leg pain that forced him to limit his activities.
The liturgy was attended by Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Melitopol, who was detained by Russian forces last month and later released in exchange for prisoners. Read more
Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re replaced the pope as the main celebration of the service, which included a procession in almost complete darkness up the central nave of the largest church in Christendom.
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The pope sat in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in a large white chair by the side, looking alert and standing while reading the Gospel.
He read his sermon while sitting, but in his normal voice, and later got up to baptize seven adults baptized into Catholicism.
The pope deviated from his prepared text to acknowledge the presence of Fedorov, his family and three Ukrainian parliamentarians sitting in front.
He speaks of “the darkness of war, of cruelty.”
“We all pray for you and with you. We pray because there is so much suffering. We can only provide you with our company, our prayers and tell you, “Courage, we accompany you,” Francis said.
He ended with the words “Christ is risen” in Ukrainian.
Pope Francis speaks while attending the Easter Vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, April 16, 2022. REUTERS / Guglielmo Mangiapane
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The Vatican said Francis had met in private with the Ukrainian delegation before the liturgy.
Presiding over a liturgy attended by 5,500 people would require long periods of standing during singing and gospel readings, kneeling before the altar.
The 85-year-old pope suffers from sciatica, which causes pain in one leg and leads to severe lameness. Recently, Francis also had an attack of pain in his right knee.
The condition seems to be coming and going.
In a program issued by the Vatican on Friday, the pope is listed as the main holiday of the Saturday evening service. The Vatican has not given an official reason for the change.
On Friday afternoon, the pope was strong enough to walk the entire trail at both the beginning and end of Good Friday service in the basilica, but he did not bow to the floor, as he usually does during this service.
He had to restrict some of his movements during a trip to Malta in early April and also had to ask a cardinal to replace him at a liturgy in December.
The activities of Holy Week, which culminate on Sunday, mark the first time since 2019 that the public will be present after two years of COVID-19 restrictions.
On Easter Sunday, the most important day in the Christian liturgical calendar, he must celebrate a liturgy in St. Peter’s Square and then deliver his message and blessing “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) twice a year.
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Report by Philip Pulella; Edited by Christina Fincher and Daniel Wallis
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