Pope Francis, who is recovering from severe pneumonia, made a surprise public appearance, mingling with the crowd in the Vatican square just two weeks after leaving hospital.
"Have a nice Sunday everyone. Thank you very much," the 88-year-old pope said as he was wheeled in a wheelchair through St Peter's Square after a mass dedicated to the sick, AFP reported.
Surrounded by a mass of smartphones and cameras, and attached to nasal breathing tubes, his voice was frail but more audible than when he left Gemelli Hospital on March 23. His last public appearance was on 14 February.
Theoretically, Pope Francis is going through a two-month recovery period from his life-threatening health condition, strictly resting, not engaging in public activity and not interacting with crowds. | BGNES