Pope Francis has skipped the reading of his homily during the Palm Sunday Mass as tens of thousands gather at St. Peter’s Square.
Francis has been suffering from a series of bronchitis and influenza. In the past, he usually delegated an aide to read his addresses for him. But this time, it was not read at all.
The Vatican has yet to explain why the pope skipped the homily which is unusual for a Pope at a major event such as Palm Sunday.
After the mass, the Pope continued with his weekly Sunday Angelus message where he condemned the shooting attack in Moscow that killed at least 133 individuals.
Palm Sunday marks the start of Holy Week and the solemn season of Lent.
Cardinals, priests and bishops, along with participants in the crowd, held palm fronds and olive branches at the service.
The pope was also seen sitting near the altar while the cardinals act as the main celebrant following Francis’ injury last year.
