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Pope Francis led the Palm Sunday service from St. Peter’s Square on April 2, just one day after leaving the Gemelli hospital in Rome, where he was referred last week for bronchitis. In the homily that kicks off the Holy Week activities, the pontiff urged the world to take better care of the poor, the lonely and the sick.
With a calm and clear voice, Pope Francis addressed thousands of parishioners at the opening of Holy Week, days after doubts were raised about his participation due to his state of health.
In an open-air service in Saint Peter’s Square and after getting out of a white convertible vehicle, the pontiff led the Palm Sunday homily in which he focused his message on defending the “abandoned” of the world.
“Abandoned Jesus asks us to have eyes and a heart for the abandoned. For us, disciples of the Abandoned, no one can be marginalized; no one can be abandoned to their fate,” Francis told around 30,000 people under a dim spring sun.
Likewise, and in the midst of thousands of people waving palms and olive branches, the Vatican leader called not to ignore those who experience great suffering and loneliness.
Jesus “he wants us to care for the brothers and sisters who are most like him in the extreme act of pain and loneliness. Today, dear brothers and sisters, there are so many abandoned Christs. There are entire towns that are exploited and abandoned, the poor live in our streets and we look the other way, migrants are no longer faces but numbers, prisoners are repudiated, they are people discarded as problems,” he stressed.
The first Latin American pope in history, who marked the tenth anniversary of his pontificate last March, has advocated for years for the plight of the poor and migrants.
Palm Sunday marks the day the Bible claims Jesus rode into Jerusalem to cheering crowds, the week before Christians believed he had risen from the dead after his execution on the cross.
The latest events on the pope’s health
Francis resumes leadership of Vatican activities, after he was discharged from the Vatican on Saturday, April 1. hospital Gemelli of Romewhere he was transferred last Wednesday, March 29, after presenting respiratory difficulties.
Later, his medical team reported that the religious leader was treated for bronchitis and that he responded satisfactorily to an infusion of antibiotics.
Concerns about the state of the 86-year-old pope have been present due to a series of ailments he has experienced in recent years, including severe pain in one of his knees, for which in public appearances he usually uses a cane and a wheelchair.
The pontiff also suffers from diverticulitis, a condition that can infect or inflame the colon.which is why in 2021 he underwent surgery to remove part of that organ.
However, the group of medical professionals who treated him this week indicated that he can resume his duties.
In an attempt to allay concerns about his health, the Vatican reported that the pope will participate in a full series of Easter events this week, the busiest period in the Catholic Church’s calendar, which runs until next Sunday, April 9. April.
With Reuters and EFE
