Pope Francis made a surprise appearance before the faithful two weeks after being hospitalized with pneumonia.
According to the Associated Press, on the afternoon of the 6th (local time), the Pope appeared unexpectedly in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, where a special Mass commemorating this year's Catholic Holy Year was held.
The Pope was seated in a wheelchair with a breathing tube in his nose. When he waved his hand towards the center of the square, the faithful rose from their seats and applauded. The Pope ascended to the altar at the center of the square and said, "I wish everyone a good Sunday," and expressed his gratitude by stating, "Thank you very much."
Previously, Pope Francis was hospitalized for a serious respiratory illness at Gemelli Hospital in Rome, Italy, on Feb. 14 and returned to the Vatican on the 23rd of last month, 37 days later. Upon discharge, Dr. Luigi Carbone, deputy director of the Vatican's medical services, stated that the Pope would need to continue taking oral medication and undergo high-flow oxygen therapy to treat pneumonia. Pope Francis is 88 years old this year.