Francis skipped night-time Via Crucis procession on Friday
His voice at times sounded raspy and out of breath, but he read out all of his prepared texts, including a more than one-page long homily, and he smiled and waved at the congregation as he left in a wheelchair. procession at Rome’s Colosseum in what the Vatican said was a bid to “preserve his health” before other Holy Week events.
Francis looked in better shape on Thursday as he performed a foot-washing ceremony in a women's prison, recalling Jesus' gesture of humility to his apostles at the Last Supper, and at a Good Friday service in St Peter's. Saturday's evening service, held in Christendom's largest church, started in near total darkness before lights were turned on, signifying the passage from darkness to light when the Bible says Jesus rose from the dead.In his homily, recalling that the stone sealing Jesus' tomb was rolled back as he was resurrected, Francis urged Christians to keep their faith even when weighed down by sorrow, fear or other adversities.
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