Pope Francis Will NOT Lead Vatican’s New Year Celebrations

POPE Francis will NOT lead the Vatican’s New Year celebrations due to a sciatica condition, which causes pain in his right leg, meaning this will be the first time he has skipped a major event for health reasons since he became pope in 2013.

Pope Francis, who turned 84 this month, has suffered from sciatica in the past and will miss the year-end prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica and also won’t celebrate Mass on New Year’s Day, according to Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, on Thursday, December 31.

Due to coronavirus restrictions in Italy, both the vespers and Mass are being held from a secondary altar in St. Peter’s Basilica with only about 200 people instead of the 10,000 the basilica holds.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re (the Dean of the College of Cardinals) will preside at the Te Deum, and Cardinal Pietro Parolin (the Vatican’s Secretary of State) will preside at the January 1 Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.

However, Pope Francis will deliver his noon prayer on January 1 in the library of the Apostolic Palace, the Vatican said.

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