Pope Francis, who continues to recover from a bad case of double pneumonia, paid a surprise call on Thursday to Rome’s Regina Coeli prison, delivering Easter blessings to detainees in a move of solidarity and compassion.
The 88-year-old pope, who has slowly returned to public duties after the closest call of his papacy, departed the Vatican for a quick trip to the crowded facility just minutes away in Rome’s Trastevere district.
Arriving just around 3 p.m. local time, Francis was greeted by prison guards and staff warmly as he was pushed inside. Inside the half-hour visit, the pope greeted approximately 70 prisoners, offering prayers and words of comfort. “I wanted to be close to you,” he said to them, as read in a Vatican statement. “I pray for you and for your families.
The visit came on Holy Thursday, the beginning of the Easter Triduum four days of religious celebration ending on Easter Sunday. It is a pope tradition to make a visit to prisons on Holy Thursday, a symbol of humility and service.
Regina Coeli, a once 17th-century monastery, now contains around 1,100 prisoners, well over its official limit of 628. Pope Francis last visited the prison in 2018.
Despite being visibly frail, the pope emerged without oxygen assistance and answered gently but happily to reporters as he exited the prison, reporting that he would be marking Easter “as I can.”
Following hospitalization for five weeks, Francis went back to the Vatican on March 23. Doctors have directed him to rest for two months, but already the pope has made a few brief public outings, indicating the gradual resumption of his responsibilities despite continued health issues.
Participation in coming Easter services cannot be guaranteed while he continues his recovery.
