Pope Francis Surprises Crowds with Unplanned Public Appearance at the Vatican

Pope Francis made an unexpected arrival in St Peter's Square during a special Jubilee Mass for the ill and healthcare providers, signifying his initial public outing at the Vatican since being discharged from the hospital about two weeks ago following a severe battle with pneumonia.

He appeared on stage in a wheelchair and gave a wave to the crowd prior to addressing them.

"Hello everyone," the pope said, addressing them in frail voice whilst getting oxygen through a tube placed under his nostrils.

"Wishing everyone a delightful Sunday; I'm truly grateful," he said additionally.

The Pope, who is 88 years old, hadn't made a public appearance since March 23rd, when he was spotted at his balcony prior to departing from Rome's Gemelli hospital.

After returning to the Vatican, physicians recommended an additional two months of rest for him to completely recover. Typically, he leads a weekly midday prayer at St. Peter's Square every Sunday, but he hasn’t been able to carry out this duty since falling ill.

On February 14th, Pope Francis was hospitalized due to an infection that escalated into pneumonia—a particularly severe situation considering his history with pleurisy during his youth and the partial removal of one lung that followed.

During his treatments, he experienced two severe incidents that nearly cost him his life, as reported by one of his physicians. At one juncture within his 38-day hospitalization, Francis was perilously near death; thus, his lead doctor mentioned last month that they contemplated discontinuing the therapy to allow for a peaceful passing.

Nevertheless, the pope's health has taken a positive turn, with improvements noted in his breathing, mobility, and speech since Friday, as reported by the Vatican. Additionally, blood test results indicate progress in combating his lung infection.

This follows the postponement of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit to the Holy See, which is the governing body of the Roman Catholic Church situated in the Vatican.

A number of Vatican events have been taken off the schedule in Rome, while the leftover appointments in Italy’s main city will now take place across two separate days.

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