VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis, 88, will lead the Sunday Angelus prayer from inside his residence as a precaution due to cold weather in Rome and his upcoming commitments in the Christmas week. The decision was made in consideration of his health, as he had complained about the effects of his cold during an audience on Friday. The pope will give the Angelus from the chapel of the Santa Marta quarters where he lives, rather than addressing pilgrims from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
This is not the first time Francis has had to adjust his schedule due to health concerns. He has suffered from spells of ill health in recent years, including a bout of flu that forced him to cancel a trip to the COP28 climate meeting in Dubai last year. The coming days are expected to be particularly intense, with the pope marking the start of the Holy Year or Jubilee on Christmas Eve, which is expected to attract millions of additional visitors to the Vatican and Rome.
