Rome Newsroom, 05 June, 2024 / 12:27 pm (ACI Africa).
Pope Francis is slowing down his liturgical schedule a bit this summer as he prepares to head out on the longest international trip of his pontificate in September.
The 87-year-old pope does not have any public Masses on his schedule for eight weeks in July and August, according to the master of papal liturgical ceremonies’ official schedule published this week.
The pope’s current calendar has him taking a break from public liturgies from July 8 to Sept. 1. Prior to that, he is expected to preside over at least three events on his liturgical schedule.
Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has opted for a busier summer schedule than his predecessors, making international trips, creating new cardinals, establishing new Church celebrations, and famously forgoing the traditional summer retreat to the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo.
Yet Francis has continued the tradition of taking the month of July off from his public audiences (with the exception of the Sunday Angelus), something that in recent years has given him the chance to recover from medical surgeries in June 2023 and July 2021.
