The Jubilee began on December 24 with the pope seated and knocking on the Holy Door. A very different image from the one he offered in 2015, when he was almost 10 years younger.
A few days later the pope tried to show signs of improvement. And when he opened the Holy Door of the Roman prison of Rebibbia, he wanted to do it without his wheelchair.
At the end he stopped with the journalists to leave several messages of a pastoral nature.
POPE FRANCIS
The first Holy Door I opened was that of St. Peter's on the other night. The second Holy Door is this basilica. Today the prison has become a “basilica” in quotes.
Many of these prisoners are not the big fish. The big fish have the cunning and stay out. And we must accompany the detainees.
In January the pope participated in the Jubilee events. For example the audience on Saturday 11.
POPE FRANCIS
This morning we begin the Saturday Jubilee audiences, the idea of which is to welcome and embrace all those who come from all over the world to seek a new beginning. The Jubilee, in fact, is a new beginning.
The following week was the journalists' jubilee.
And in the following one he presided over another extraordinary audience and another jubilee: that of the armed forces, where his breathing problems once again gained ground.
POPE FRANCIS
And now I apologize a little and ask the Master [of Liturgical Celebrations] to continue reading due to my difficulty in breathing.
A few days later, the pope was admitted to the hospital. And from then on, different Vatican personalities had to replace the pope in the other celebrations.
Portuguese José Tolentino de Mendonça presided at the Jubilee Mass for artists.
Monsignor Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, took charge of the Jubilee of Deacons.
And Cardinal Michael Cerny that of the volunteers.
The next Jubilee event on the calendar is March 28-30. It is the Jubilee of the priests who were designated “missionaries of mercy.” Friday the 28th will also be the day traditionally dedicated to confession. In April there is Holy Week, the Jubilee of the Sick and the Jubilee of Adolescents, which should close with the canonization of Carlo Acutis. It remains to be seen if the Pope will be present and in what form, because for the moment the doctors are not making any kind of prediction.
JH
