Pope Francis presides the Palm Sunday Mass at the Vatican

Pope Francis presided the Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, a day after leaving the Gemelli hospital in Rome, where he had been admitted since Wednesday due to bronchitis.

According to a note published on the official website of the Holy Site press, in this liturgical ceremony which opens the Holy Week celebrations, that began at 10:00 local time, the Supreme Pontiff delivered a homily, in which he spoke about the ‘closeness, compassion and tenderness’ towards the most needed.

The Pope referred to the fact that ‘there are entire countries who are exploited and abandoned to their fate, there are poor people who live at the crossroads of our streets and whose eyes we do not have the courage to meet, there are migrants who are no longer faces but numbers, there are prisoners who are rejected, people who are cataloged as problems’.

After the Holy Father’s homily, the Mass in St. Peter’s Square continued with Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, during the second part of the Mass, in the so-called Eucharistic liturgy.

Afterwards, and while the Angelus prayer was taking place, Pope Francis greeted those present ‘, especially the attendees who have come from afar’.

Brothers and sisters, with this celebration we have entered Holy Week,’ he said, and added: “I thank you for your participation and also for your prayers, which you have intensified in recent days. Thank you very much”.