Pope Francis is anticipated to participate in Easter Sunday celebrations at the Vatican, just weeks after a serious bout of pneumonia had him hospitalized and left many concerned for his health.
The 88-year-old pontiff was discharged from the hospital on March 23 after spending over five weeks under medical care.
Despite ongoing signs of frailty, he is expected to deliver the traditional Urbi et Orbi (To the City and the World) blessing at noon from the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica, a highlight of the Christian calendar.
Though the Vatican has yet to officially confirm his full involvement, it has indicated that his participation will depend on his health status closer to the time.
While the pope’s breathing has improved, allowing him to appear twice in public recently without an oxygen tube — his voice remains weak.
There is a chance he may ask someone else to read his Easter message, which usually addresses global conflicts and humanitarian crises.
This Holy Week has been unlike any other since his papacy began in 2013.
For the first time, Pope Francis missed the majority of the Easter observances, including the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday and the Easter Vigil on Saturday, with cardinals stepping in on his behalf.
Nevertheless, he briefly greeted worshippers at Saint Peter’s Basilica on Saturday in a rare appearance.
Sunday’s Mass, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, is expected to draw large crowds to the flower-filled Saint Peter’s Square, especially as this year marks the Catholic Church’s Jubilee — a special “Holy Year” held every 25 years that draws pilgrims from around the globe.
Adding to the occasion’s significance, U.S. Vice President JD Vance is in Rome and met with top Vatican officials on Saturday.
His visit comes shortly after tensions arose between Pope Francis and former President Donald Trump’s administration over its immigration policies.
It remains unclear whether Vance and the pontiff will meet during the Easter celebrations.
Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re led the Easter Vigil on Saturday night, stepping in for Francis, who has been advised to limit his public engagements for at least two months.
The pope also skipped the traditional Maundy Thursday foot-washing ritual, symbolizing humility and service.
During his only official Holy Week activity — a visit to a Roman prison — the pope was asked how he was experiencing Easter in his current state. With a smile and in a hoarse voice, he replied, “I am living it as best I can.”
Francis’ recent illness brought him dangerously close to death on two occasions, adding gravity to his limited presence this Easter. Uniquely, Easter is being celebrated this year on the same weekend by Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christians — a rare alignment of calendars that adds symbolic unity to the occasion.
