Pope makes appearance after missing New Year’s Mass due to pain

Pope Francis, who sat out New Year’s services Thursday evening and Friday morning due to chronic pain, made an appearance later Friday, according to Reuters.

The pontiff made no mention of his absence — one of the first times since he assumed the papacy that his sciatica has sidelined him during a major event — during his speech, according to the news service.

“Life today is governed by war, by enmity, by many things that are destructive. We want peace. It is a gift,” the pontiff said in his New Year’s address in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, saying the events of 2020 have highlighted the interconnectedness of humanity. “The painful events that marked humanity’s journey last year, especially the pandemic, taught us how much it is necessary to take an interest in the problems of others and to share their concerns.”

He also lamented the ongoing war in Yemen between Iran-backed rebels and a coalition spearheaded by Saudi Arabia, which has continued for the past six years.

“I express my sorrow and concern for the further escalation of violence in Yemen, which is causing numerous innocent victims,” he said, according to Reuters. “Let us think of the children of Yemen, without education, without medicine, famished.”

Like numerous other papal addresses, the pope typically gives the New Year’s blessing to a crowd in St. Peter’s Square. This year, however, the event was moved indoors.

Italy was an early epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in Europe. As of Friday, it has a total of 2.1 million confirmed cases and 74,159 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.