Holy Week begins in Rome with a lot of uncertainty and many faithful wondering when and where they might see the Pope:
“I would love for him to be here and to be able to make a public appearance so we can all see him… especially since we're here in the city.”
“It all depends on his health. Honestly, we hope he can come out and that he's feeling better.”
Pope Francis has continued to recover but is still in need of rest. The Holy See stated that the Pope’s participation in Holy Week would be assessed day by day, and due to his delicate health, it is not yet known which events he will be able to attend.
For instance, this past Palm Sunday, when the Pope decided to surprise the faithful by coming out of St. Peter’s Basilica at the end of the Mass and saying a few words.
POPE FRANCIS
Happy Palm Sunday. Have a good start of Holy Week.
This was the fifth time that Pope Francis was seen in public. Right before the start of Holy Week, many saw him when he went to pray at the tomb of Saint Pius X, dressed in an unexpected style.
In fact, Lorena, who was working on the restoration of artwork in the Basilica, was surprised when she saw Pope Francis. She admits they were already packing up and getting ready to leave when the Pope arrived.
LORENA ARAUJO PIÑEIRO
"At that moment, I saw some of the Basilica staff coming in, pushing someone in a wheelchair, and I thought, well, I don’t know… maybe it’s just some man? How kind of them, you know? Bringing this gentleman here… But then, as I kept looking, I thought: Could it be the Pope? No way he’d show up like this…, because he was dressed sort of casually. And then, well, I kept staring, thinking… I don’t think it’s the Pope. Then my colleague peeked out too, and there we were, both of us, and she said: 'Yes! It’s the Pope!'"
He asked us if we were the ones who did the restoration work, thanked us for it, shook our hands… and he was just very human, like a truly down-to-earth person, thanking us for the work. We were really moved — it was such an emotional way to wrap up the project, and totally unexpected.
Little by little, Pope Francis has been seen more across Rome, bringing joy to all the faithful who cross paths with him.
JULIA ANNE
"It was a surprise. My heart was telling me I was going to see Pope Francis. I had even thought about what I would say if he came close——‘May the Lord of the Miracle bless you, Pope Francis!’ And well… I said it anyway, even though he didn’t hear me. I’m sure the Heart of Jesus heard me."
Despite his health limitations, Pope Francis continues to find ways to draw close to the faithful, even through small gestures like these brief visits in his wheelchair.
