Pope Francis presides over Easter Vigil service amid frail health concerns

The evening service, one of the most solemn and important moments in the Catholic liturgical calendar, commemorates the resurrection of Jesus and includes the sacrament of baptism for eight adult converts.

He has cancelled some audiences and often asked an aide to read aloud some of his speeches.

Pope Francis entered the darkened, silent St Peter’s Basilica in his wheelchair, before taking his place in a chair and offering an opening prayer. Source: AAP / Giuseppe Lami/EPA

But the alarm was raised when he ditched his Palm Sunday homily altogether last week at the last minute and then decided suddenly on Friday to stay home rather than preside over the Way of the Cross procession at the Colosseum re-enacting Christ’s crucifixion.

While Francis also skipped the chilly Good Friday procession last year because he was recovering from bronchitis, his sudden absence from the event this year underscored how his frail health was affecting even major liturgical events at the Vatican.