Pope Francis won’t preside at Corpus Christi Mass and procession due to knee pain

CNA Staff   By CNA Staff

 

Pope Francis celebrates the Feast of Corpus Christi in Ostia June 3, 2018. / Daniel Ibanez/CNA

Vatican City, Jun 13, 2022 / 02:41 am (CNA).

Pope Francis will not preside at a Mass and procession on the feast of Corpus Christi, the Vatican announced on Monday.

The Holy See press office said on June 13 that the decision was taken “due to the limitations imposed on the pope by gonalgia,” or knee pain, “and the specific liturgical needs of the celebration.”

The announcement came the day after the 85-year-old-pope apologized for having to postpone a scheduled trip to Africa in July because of his knee problem.

Speaking after the Angelus on June 12, he promised to reschedule the visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan “as soon as possible.”

The 85-year-old pope has been suffering from an inflamed ligament in his knee, limiting his ability to walk. He has been using a wheelchair during public appearances since last month.

From 2013 to 2017, Pope Francis followed the custom established by Pope John Paul II of marking the Solemnity of Corpus Christi by celebrating a Mass at the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran and then leading a Eucharistic procession to the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

In 2018, he celebrated the solemnity in Ostia, a district of Rome, and in the following year, he presided at Corpus Christi Mass and procession in Rome’s Casal Bertone neighborhood.

In 2020 and 2021, he marked the solemnity with a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, but without a procession due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Corpus Christi, which dates back to the 13th century, traditionally falls on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday, but is transfered to the Sunday in many parts of the Catholic world.

The pope is still scheduled to visit Canada on July 24-29.


If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!

Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.


About Catholic News Agency 12479 Articles
Catholic News Agency (www.catholicnewsagency.com)

2 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

All comments posted at Catholic World Report are moderated. While vigorous debate is welcome and encouraged, please note that in the interest of maintaining a civilized and helpful level of discussion, comments containing obscene language or personal attacks—or those that are deemed by the editors to be needlessly combative or inflammatory—will not be published. Thank you.


*