Pope skips Good Friday service due to cold weather
ROME, Italy (AFP) — Pope Francis, who is recovering from bronchitis and last week spent three nights in hospital, did not attend the traditional "Way of the Cross" prayer service on Good Friday, the Vatican said.
Some 20,000 people took part in the ceremony at the Colosseum in Rome, which was dedicated to victims of conflict, with a young Ukrainian and a young Russian praying for peace and brotherhood.
It was the first time that Francis, 86, has missed the annual service, which falls two days before Easter – Christianity's most important holiday – in the 10 years of his papacy.
"Due to the intense cold of the past days, Pope Francis will follow this evening's Way of the Cross from Casa Santa Marta, joining the prayer of those who will gather with the Diocese of Rome at the Colosseum," the Vatican said in a short statement.
Santa Marta is the Argentine Pontiff's residence within the Vatican.
An unusual cold snap in Rome has seen night-time temperatures fall to 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit).
Christians commemorate Good Friday as the day Jesus Christ died on the cross.
The Way of the Cross service commemorates the 14 stations of Jesus' suffering and death, from His condemnation to His burial.