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The Pope did not participate due to complaints of sciatica – “Say also thank you for the good”
At the Vatican, the year passed with a solemn eve of gratitude. Due to the crown, only about 200 clergy and believers attended the evening prayer in St. Pope Francis had to cancel their participation on short notice. According to the Vatican, the reason was sciatic neuralgia. In his sermon, delivered by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the head of the church recalled the dead and those affected by the pandemic, according to Kathpress.
When asked about the “why” of suffering, not even God gave an answer that referred to higher reasons, the pope said. God would be “cynical and ruthless” if He sacrificed even one person. “God’s response follows the path of the Incarnation” in Jesus Christ, Francis declared. In the drama of the pandemic there is no other meaning than to arouse pity and generate solidarity.
We should be grateful for the good that happened during the lockdown and also during the pandemic, Francis emphasized. It paid tribute to doctors and nurses, pastors, school and public service workers, but also to all who cared for their families and the common good. “The praise that most pleases God is brotherly love,” the Pope stressed.
Selfless commitment to others and renunciation are a grace. “Even those who are not aware of this are driven by the power of God, which is stronger than our selfishness,” Francis said in the prepared sermon.
The evening prayer with the solemn “Te Deum”, the traditional hymn of praise to the greatness of God, was led by Cardinal Re. As dean of the College of Cardinals, the nearly 87-year-old man ranks second behind the Pope in terms of protocol. The New Year’s Mass on Friday morning is presided over by Vatican Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, who was discharged from the hospital in mid-December after an operation, on behalf of Francis.
It is the first time that Pope Francis has canceled a major celebration due to illness. On New Year’s Day, however, the Pope wants to lead the noon prayer. The prayer and address will be broadcast from the Apostolic Palace library as planned, the Vatican said. January 1 is celebrated by the Catholic Church as the solemn feast of Mary, the Mother of God, and at the same time as the World Day of Peace. In his message for this day, published on December 17, the head of the church calls for a “culture of mindfulness as a path to peace.”
