Pope Francis returns to celebrate Angelus prayers after suspending Saturday schedule due to flu

he pope francisco He canceled his schedule for Saturday due to a “slight flu” and celebrated the traditional Sunday Angelus prayers while looking out the window of the papal palace.

Pope Francis read his own reflection and prayed the Angelus in a good voice in front of a crowd of worshipers in St. Peter’s Square.

“He came down with a mild flu and as a precaution he canceled his scheduled hearing” this Saturday, the Vatican reported on Saturday.

This Saturday morning, he plans to meet with the deacons of the Diocese of Rome. The pope suspended appointments on his agenda last Sunday to devote himself to his personal Lenten spiritual exercises and within the Vatican.

In previous years, he and his superiors from the Holy See conducted Lenten spiritual retreats outside the Vatican and moved to the “House of the Holy Master” in the town of Ariccia, 45 kilometers away from Rome. This is a restrained, quiet monastery that allows you to devote yourself to your spiritual practice more quietly.

However, since 2020, the pope has been conducting spiritual retreats alone. That time, he retreated alone in the Vatican due to a cold. In 2021, the pandemic imposed certain restrictions and the pope suspended spiritual retreats with the Holy See.In both 2022 and 2023, Francis chooses to retire only during Lent: this will be repeated in 2024

At the end of November, the Pope fell ill with bronchitis To do this, he had to cancel some planned events, celebrate the Angelus privately and not look out of the window in front of the faithful in St. Peter’s Square, and he had to be replaced by a collaborator to read his speech.

The Argentinian pope canceled a planned trip to Dubai for a climate summit in order to allow himself to recover.

But he later fully recovered and even went to the Plaza de España on December 8 to pay his traditional homage to the Immaculate Conception.

In his reflections on the Angelus this Sunday, the Pope invited the faithful to spend Lent, the period before Holy Week, “developing the capacity to be surprised by the beauty that shines in everyone, without excluding anyone: all around us “In the unknown; in the happy faces of the happy, in the tears of the weeping; in the sad and dull eyes of those who have withstood the test of life and lost their enthusiasm. “

“Lent has a good purpose: to cultivate an open mind, to become a seeker of light, to seek the light of Jesus in prayer and in people”he asked the Catholics.

“On February 24 this year, we painfully commemorate the second anniversary of the outbreak of the massive war in Ukraine. Leaning out the window of the Papal Palace, the Pope said: “In this period that has become very long and has no end in sight, how many Victims, hurt, destruction, pain and tears. “

Francis further stated The war “not only devastated this region of Europe but triggered a global wave of fear and hatred”.

Likewise, as he did in every public appearance, he wanted to express his closeness to the martyred Ukrainian people and pray for everyone, especially for the many innocent victims.

“He pleads to find a modicum of humanity that will create the conditions for a diplomatic solution that will lead to a just and lasting peace,” the pope appealed.

(Information from EFE and EP)