A day after leaving a Rome hospital where he was treated for bronchitis, Pope Francis presided over Mass in St. Peter’s Square in front of tens of thousands of followers while fighting a raspy voice.
Francis was seated in a chair behind a canopy set up in the plaza for the Mass, one of the longest services on the Church’s calendar, when the sun peaked through the clouds. Francis had scarlet robes over his coat. A day after leaving a Rome hospital where he was treated for bronchitis, Pope Francis presided over Mass in St. Peter’s Square in front of tens of thousands of followers while donning a long, white cloak and battling a raspy voice.
Francis was seated in a chair behind a canopy set up in the plaza for the Mass, one of the longest services on the Church’s calendar, when the sun peaked through the clouds. Francis had scarlet robes over his coat.
He arrived there after leading a lengthy, somber procession of cardinals, other prelates, and ordinary Catholics while standing and holding a braided palm branch in the back of the popemobile. Each participant held an olive branch or a palm frond.
During his three-day stay, Francis, 86, received intravenous antibiotics. During his previous visit to St. Peter’s Square, he had his weekly Wednesday public audience. He felt ill that day and was transported to the Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome.
As he began the Mass, he spoke with a powerful voice that soon became strained. Francis read a 15-minute homily despite his hoarseness, occasionally adding spontaneous comments for emphasis or making hand gestures.
The sermon concentrated on instances when people experience “severe suffering,
