Pope Francis (88), who is hospitalized and recovering from pneumonia in both lungs, appeared once again before the faithful on Palm Sunday.
According to foreign news agencies including the Associated Press, the pope appeared in a wheelchair before approximately 20,000 faithful gathered in St. Peter's Lee & Ko on the 13th (local time). After a brief greeting into a microphone, the pope shared a warm interaction by handing a candy to a boy. That day, the pope appeared without an oxygen supply tube.
The pope expressed gratitude, noting, "During this time of physical weakness, the faithful are helping to feel God's closeness, compassion, and tenderness even more." He prayed for peace in conflict areas around the world, including Sudan, Lebanon, Ukraine, the Middle East, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, and South Sudan.
In the Palm Sunday sermon, he appealed to the faithful to "carry the crosses of those suffering around us". The sermon was delivered in a reading format rather than being read directly.
The pope was discharged on the 23rd of last month after being hospitalized for 38 days at Rome's Gemelli Hospital due to pneumonia in both lungs. Medical staff recommended that he avoid contact with crowds for at least four weeks after discharge.
However, on the 6th, he attended a jubilee special mass held in St. Peter's Lee & Ko while wearing an oxygen tube, and on the 9th he privately met with King Charles III of the United Kingdom and Queen Camilla, who visited Italy as a state guest. On the 10th, he met again in public with ordinary faithful, and on the 12th, he was seen quietly praying at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Rome.
The Vatican reported that it is awaiting the medical team's judgment on how much of an official role the pope can perform during Holy Week leading up to Easter on the 20th.