Pope Francis made a surprise appearance at St. Peter’s Square on Sunday morning during a special Jubilee Mass for sick and healthcare workers.
The Pope, who was rolled into the square in a wheelchair, was the first public open to the Vatican since his release from the hospital two weeks ago.
He waved to the crowd as he proceeded towards the altar in the square. “A good Sunday for everyone,” the Pope said. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
The Pope’s voice sounded louder and stronger than when he spoke outside Gemeri Hospital on March 23rd’s day of release. He was battling life-threatening pneumonia during his five-week stay there.
In Angeles’ Sunday prayer written by the Pope himself and read out by Archbishop Reno Fischella, Pontif said:
“Their mission is not easy, they must be supported and respected. We hope that the resources needed will be invested in treatment and research, and that the health care system will be comprehensive and careful with the poor and most vulnerable.”
He also thanked the prisoners at the women’s prison in Levivia, and he sent him a card hoping for a quick recovery. “I pray for them and their families,” he wrote. He wanted peace in places affected by the war, and for more assistance from Myanmar and Haiti.
