Pope Francis on Friday cancelled his attendance at the Way of the Cross Easter ceremony in Rome at the last minute, the Vatican said, amid fears for the 87-year-old's health.

"To preserve his health ahead of tomorrow's vigil and the Easter Sunday mass, Pope Francis will this evening follow the Way of the Cross at the Coliseum from the Saint Martha Residence," the Vatican said in a statement.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.