Pope Francis reappears to celebrate the Angelus prayer after postponing his Saturday event due to flu

He Pope Francisco This Saturday he celebrated the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer while looking out the window of the papal palace, after having to cancel his event due to “slight flu”.

Francis read his reflection before reciting the Angelus in a good voice in front of St. Peter’s Square packed with believers.

“He has a mild flu and as a precaution he has canceled the scheduled hearing.” For this Saturday, the Vatican reported on Saturday.

This Saturday morning he planned to meet with deacons of the Rome diocese. The Pontiff suspended the appointments on his agenda last Sunday to devote to the Lenten spiritual exercises that he carried out personally and within the Vatican.

In previous years, together with superiors of the Roman Curia, he carried out the spiritual exercises of Lent outside the Vatican, moving to the “House of the Divine Master”, located in the city of Ariccia, 45 km from Rome. It is a reserved and silent convent that allows you to devote yourself more peacefully to spiritual exercises.

However, since 2020 the Pope has been conducting spiritual exercises on his own. On that occasion, because of the cold, he made a spiritual sojourn alone in the Vatican. In 2021, the pandemic imposed some restrictions and the Pope stopped holding spiritual retreats with the Roman Curia. In both 2022 and 2023, Francis preferred to retire only for Lent: a situation that would be repeated in 2024.

The Pope suffered from bronchitis in late November. For which he had to cancel some planned events and celebrate the Angelus in private and not look out the window at the faithful in St. Peter’s Square, and he also had to hire an aide to read his speeches.

To allow for his recovery, the Argentine Pope canceled a planned trip to Dubai to attend a climate summit.

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

In the Angelus reflection this Sunday, the Pope invites the faithful to live Lent, the period before Holy Week, “cultivating the capacity to be amazed by this beauty that shines in everyone without leaving anyone out: in those close to us.” ” And into the unknown; In the happiness of those who rejoice and in the tears of those who cry; In the sad and sad eyes of those who have been tested by life and who have lost their enthusiasm.”

“Here is a good purpose of Lent: to develop open-mindedness, to become seekers of light, of prayer and of the light of Jesus in people.”he asked the Catholics.

“This February 24 we remember with pain the second anniversary of the beginning of the large-scale war in Ukraine. “How many sufferings, injuries, destruction, suffering, tears, in a period that is becoming very long and whose end is not yet in sight,” the Pope said, leaning out of the window of the Pontifical Palace.

Francis further said that The war “is not only devastating this region of Europe, but it has created a global wave of fear and hatred”.,

Similarly, he wanted to express, as he does on every public occasion, his closeness to the martyred Ukrainian people and his prayers for all, especially the many innocent victims.

“He begged for that measure of humanity that would create the conditions for a diplomatic solution in search of a just and lasting peace,” the Pope appealed.

(With information from EFE and EP)