Francis, 88, remained hospitalized in Rome while the Vatican celebrated the Mass for the Jubilee of the World of Volunteers.
Time-honored rituals, drafted and refined over centuries, allow time for mourning and provide order at a dramatic moment of transition.
In his absence, the Vatican’s day-to-day operations continued alongside celebrations of its Holy Year, the once-every-quarter-century Jubilee that brings millions of pilgrims to Rome. On Sunday, Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny, who is close to Francis, celebrates the Holy Year Mass for volunteers that Francis was supposed to have celebrated.
Pope Francis, 88, has been in a Rome hospital for 3 weeks, but he was well enough as he recovers from pneumonia to record a first message for his supporters.
The expatriate community is small but shares a special bond with Francis, who has been in the hospital since Feb. 14.
Pope Francis is resting after sleeping through the night with a ventilation mask as he undergoes hospital treatment for double pneumonia.
3don MSN
As Pope Francis remains hospitalized in Rome, thousands of faithful from around the world have been gathering by St.
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