Pope Francis on Sunday gave Easter Mass with tens of thousands of Catholics at Saint Peter's Square in Vatican City before his traditional blessing, as concerns persist over his health. The 87-year-old arriving in a wheelchair to preside over the mass.

Città del Vaticano

Pope Francis conducted the Easter Mass at Saint Peter's Square in Vatican City, attended by tens of thousands of Catholics. The ceremony precedes his traditional blessing, reflecting a significant event in the Catholic Church's calendar. Despite ongoing concerns regarding his health, the 87-year-old pontiff participated in the religious ceremonies, arriving in a wheelchair to preside over the Mass.



Pope Francis presides over Easter Mass despite health concerns

Pope Francis appears increasingly tired, his voice weak. Despite this, he sat in his armchair on Saturday in the heart of St Peter's Basilica and presided over the Easter Vigil in front of thousands of worshippers. Just one day after his health gave rise to fresh concerns, when he abruptly cancelled his appearance minutes before the Good Friday procession, causing Vatican staff to hastily withdraw his seat. But for some of his 1.3 billion followers, it was only minor. They hope he will continue to lead the Catholic Church. I think he'll get over it, he's a strong man. In the halls of the Vatican, more and more people are thinking about his succession, though the Argentinian Jesuit has said he has no intention of giving up unless he no longer has the cognitive capacity to do so. He says, as long as my head's alright, I'll run the church with my head, not with my knees, not with my legs. One of his doctors was interviewed not long ago in the Italian press and he said, the Pope has the body of someone who is 87, but the head of someone who is 60. So as long as Pope Francis still has the head of a sexagenarian, he will continue to be the head of the church. For the past two years, Pope Francis has been confined to a wheelchair and has had to restrict his movements. His most recent trip abroad was to Marseille last summer.

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