Pope Francis refrains from preaching on Palm Sunday. Pope Francis has been suffering from what appears to be a persistent respiratory infection since February.
Palm Sunday marks the start of Holy Week for 1.7 billion Catholics and Protestants around the world. Next Thursday, Pope Francis is scheduled to celebrate a mass in the prison's Rebbia women's prison in Rome. It is unclear whether the pontiff will take part in the Stations of the Cross to the Colosseum due to the cold weather.