Pope will preside over Easter Vigil after missing Good Friday procession

Vatican ushers carry Pope Francis chair prior to the start of the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) at the Colosseum on Good Friday (Picture: AP)

The Vatican has confirmed Pope Francis would preside over the Easter Vigil service on Saturday night, after he decided at the last minute to skip his participation in the Good Friday procession at the Colosseum as a health precaution.

The Vatican’s daily bulletin confirmed Francis would lead the lengthy vigil in St Peter’s Basilica, one of the most solemn and important moments in the Catholic liturgical calendar.