Pope Francis broke tradition on Sunday at the start of Holy Week, skipping reading his annual Palm Sunday homily during mass at the last minute.
Reuters reported that the pontiff was in front of tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square when he skipped the homily but continued to lead the service before exiting in the popemobile and circling the crowd .
The 87-year-old pope has suffered from bronchitis and flu in recent weeks, leading him to have his addresses read to him by an aide.
On Sunday, however, the text prepared by Francis was not read at all.
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Pope Francis during his weekly audience at the Vatican on February 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and then ends with Easter. It is unusual for a pope to skip a homily at an event of such importance.
The Vatican did not provide an explanation for why Francis skipped the homily and, rather than pointing the cameras at the pontiff, they were pointed at the crowd for a few minutes.
A presenter later said on Vatican Radio that Francis had decided not to read the homily. He nevertheless continued to preside over the service and read parts of the mass.
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Pope Francis arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, Wednesday, June 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
The service, attended by cardinals, priests and bishops, commemorates Jesus' entry into Jerusalem days before he was betrayed by Judas, judged and crucified on the cross.
Vatican police estimate there were about 60,000 people in the crowd, many of whom held palm trees and olive branches during the service.
After the Mass, the pope delivered the weekly Sunday Angelus message and blessing from the altar, rather than from a window of the apostolic palace overlooking the square, although this is not unusual when major events take place .
While delivering the prayer, Francis condemned the attack at a concert hall near Moscow that resulted in the deaths of more than 130 people, calling the massacre a despicable and inhumane act that offends God.
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He also asked for prayers for those suffering in Gaza, Ukraine and other war regions.
After the service, Francis took a tour around the square in an open-top vehicle while waving and smiling to the crowd.
Reuters contributed to this report.