Watch as Pope Francis takes part in Easter Mass at the Vatican

Watch as Pope Francis takes part in Easter Mass at the Vatican on Sunday 9 April.

Holy Week, as it is known, includes a busy schedule of rituals and ceremonies that can be physically exhausting for the pontiff, 86, who has recently been admitted to hospital.

The dean of the college of cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, has said a cardinal would help the pope during the week’s celebrations and take care of altar duties.

A similar arrangement was put in place last year, when the pope sat to one side during some Easter events due to persistent knee pain, leaving it to senior cardinals to lead the Masses.

Francis returned to public view on Saturday, presiding over Easter vigil mass in St Peter’s Basilica, a day after unseasonably chilly weather in Rome pushed him to skip Good Friday’s night-time procession at the Colosseum.

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