Pope Francis, affected by "
painful sciatica
", will not be able to preside over the liturgical celebrations scheduled for Thursday evening and Friday morning at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the Vatican announced on Wednesday December 31st.
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"
Because of painful sciatica, the celebrations this evening and tomorrow morning (...) will not be presided over by the Holy Father
", announced in a statement the director of the press room of the Holy See , Matteo Bruni.
"
Tonight's First Vespers and Te Deum will be chaired by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the college of cardinals, while the Holy Mass on January 1, 2021 will be chaired by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State
", he clarified.
On the other hand, on Friday 1st, "
Pope Francis will still lead the prayer of the Angelus from the library of the apostolic palace, as planned
", he concluded.
Shortly before Christmas, two cardinals who are part of the pope's close guard, a Pole and an Italian, contracted Covid-19, again raising questions about the protection of the Pope, 84 years old and who rarely wears a mask.
If the official meetings of the Pope with senior officials of the Holy See are communicated daily, Francis also has many private meetings in the Santa Marta hotel residence where he lives.
The Pope is considered a person at risk.
At the age of 21, in 1957, Jorge Bergoglio had suffered from acute pleurisy and surgeons had to partially remove his right lung, details his biographer Austen Ivereigh.
The Vatican has not yet indicated when the Pope could benefit from a Covid-19 vaccine.
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