Concerns about Pope Francis’ health are not subsiding. On Sunday, the church leader was again driven in a wheelchair to St. Peter’s Basilica for the traditional New Year’s Eve service.
In his thanksgiving service at the end of the year, the Pope called for more solidarity, referring to the city of Rome. “Are we, each in our own region, committed to ensuring that this city is a sign of hope for those who live here and for those who visit?” Francis asked on Sunday.
Concern about health status
The 87-year-old had been suffering from knee problems for some time and came to St. Peter’s Basilica in a wheelchair on Sunday evening. No further details are known about his health.
Francis looked to his episcopal city of Rome and the preparations for the Holy Year 2025. “We all know that the preparations for the Holy Year have been going on for some time,” he said. The appeal of the Eternal City is ‘eternal and universal’, but it must also be more accessible to the elderly and disabled.
2025 as the Catholic jubilee year
A Catholic Jubilee Year will be celebrated in 2025, which will also mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea (AD 325), the first ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis has asked that 2024 be regarded as a year of prayerful preparation for this event.
At vespers – as always on New Year’s Eve – the “Te Deum” was sung as a thank you for the year that was coming to an end. This is a solemn traditional song of praise, thanksgiving and supplication (from the Latin “Te Deum laudamus” – “We praise you, God”). According to the Vatican, 6,500 worshipers took part in the ceremony.
To mark the new year, Francis will celebrate a mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on the morning of January 1 at 10 a.m. On this date the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and the World Day of Peace.
Source: Krone
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