Europa Press Breaking Rumor at the Vatican About Pope Francis: It Could Happen Today
The medical team has recommended rest, but the Pontiff wants to participate in the Holy Week events
Amid his convalescence, Pope Francis once again shows that his commitment to the faithful knows no bounds. Although doctors have recommended two months of rest, the Argentine Pontiff has expressed his intention to return to leave the Vatican.
This time, for a very specific reason. Pope Francis wants to visit the Roman prison of Regina Coeli this Holy Thursday. It would be a private visit that, according to several Italian media, could take place this very afternoon.
The visit has not been officially confirmed by the Vatican, but sources close to him indicate that he is in good spirits, although still slightly hoarse. Yesterday he held an audience with the medical staff of the Gemelli hospital, where he was seen looking better. This has fueled speculation about his possible trip to the penitentiary located in the heart of Rome.
Pope Francis and an Intimate Meeting with Several Inmates
If it takes place, the visit would occur around four in the afternoon and would consist of an intimate meeting with several inmates. He is not expected to actively participate in the traditional foot washing, as that gesture would be delegated to another member of the clergy. But his mere presence would be enough to reinforce the message he has kept from the beginning: no one is excluded from mercy.
The Holy Father has stated on numerous occasions the need to treat prisoners with dignity. Remembering that, in addition to judicial punishment, they also suffer a profound "emotional void, imposed restrictions, and, in many cases, a lack of respect." With this visit, Pope Francis reaffirms his commitment to the forgotten, the marginalized, and those living on the peripheries of society.
Regina Coeli is not an unfamiliar place for him. In 2018, he celebrated the foot washing there with twelve inmates during the same Holy Thursday. A gesture full of symbolism that marked one of the most memorable images of his pontificate.
A Plan of Substitutions for Liturgical Celebrations
Meanwhile, as a preventive measure given the Pontiff's delicate health, the Vatican has activated a plan of substitutions for the liturgical celebrations. This morning, the Chrism Mass was presided over by Cardinal Domenico Calcagno in St. Peter's Basilica. Likewise, the evening ceremony will be led by Cardinal Mauro Gambetti.
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