The Vatican said Saturday that the Pope has a cold and will perform indoor blessings a few days before Christmas Eve Mass and will not attend the usual Sunday Mass.
The cold weather and the Pope’s busy schedule during Christmas week were cited as reasons by the 88-year-old Pope for giving the blessing from his residence in the chapel of the Vatican’s Santa Marta quarter.
The Pope usually addresses the public on Sundays from the window of St. Peter’s Basilica overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
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Pope Francis exchanged season’s greetings with Vatican staff on Saturday. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
The crowd looked packed as Pope Francis delivered his annual Christmas greetings to Vatican bureaucrats on Saturday.
The 8-year-old has suffered from bronchitis before, including last year when he was hospitalized, and he also missed last year’s climate change meeting in Dubai due to flu and lung inflammation.
The Vatican said Saturday that the Pope has a cold and will be giving indoor blessings a few days before Christmas Eve and mass and will not attend the usual Sunday Mass. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
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Pope developed pulmonary disease at the age of 20 and was forced to have part of his lung removed in his native Argentina.
The Pope usually addresses the public on Sundays from the window of St. Peter’s Basilica overlooking St. Peter’s Square. (Ricardo De Luca/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Christmas Eve also marks the beginning of the Vatican’s Holy Year in which some 32 million pilgrims are expected to visit Rome by 2025.
The Pope will open the sacred doors of St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve and on Dec. 26 he will visit Rome’s main prison to inaugurate the beginning of the Holy Year.
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The Holy Year, also known as the Jubilee, is usually held every 25 years.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
