Pope will send the occasion blessing to urbi et orbi on Easter

Pope Franciswhich is recovering from severe pneumonia, will send its traditional blessing of « Urbi et orbi » from St. Peter Square to Easter, which falls this year on April 20, the Vatican announced on Thursday. However, it was not clear whether the 88-year-old Argentine pope would be able to lead the other celebrations, which is unlikely given the thick layout of the Holy Week. After spending five weeks at a hospital in Rome, the Pope returned to the Vatican on Sunday and will continue his recovery there for at least two months with motor and respiratory rehabilitation and without public activities.

Francis’s fragility, with pronounced facial features and a weak voice after leaving the Gemelli Hospital, cited believers to question his presence at Easter, the most important holiday for Catholics.

On Thursday, the Vatican announced the calendar of liturgical celebrations for this period, which includes the festive blessing of « Urbi et orbi » (city and world), which, every Easter Sunday, the Pope from the balcony of the Basilica of St. Peter. Although the Holy See confirmed the celebration of the Holy Week, and among them became a cross road in the Colosseum in Rome, she did not specify who would lead them.

The Holy See Printing Office emphasized that the Pope’s possible presence during the Holy Week will be decided on the basis of the development of his health status of the « Next Weeks ».

The Pope can entrust the guidance of mass and ceremony to other prelates, usually to the cardinals, but only he can give the blessing of « urbi et orbi ». The Vatican also announced the canonization of the Italian blessed Carl Acuti (1991 – 2006) on April 27, but not the extent to which Pope Francis will participate. With this hospitalization, during which he died twice to doctors, the spiritual chief of 1.4 billion Catholics had experienced the most serious health crisis since he was elected Pope in 2013.