Pope Francis appeared publicly for the first time in more than five weeks on Sunday, offering a brief wave from a balcony at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital before leaving the facility.
The 88-year-old pontiff, who was admitted on February 14 with a severe respiratory infection—the most serious health crisis of his 12-year papacy—made a short appearance shortly after noon. Using a wheelchair as he has for several years, Francis smiled and waved at hundreds of well-wishers gathered below, chanting his name. His face, noticeably swollen, was visible only for a few moments as he spoke with a feeble voice to thank a crowd member who had brought yellow flowers.
Though his doctors warned on Saturday that his aging body still needs "a lot of time" to fully recover, they also prescribed an additional two months of rest at the Vatican following his discharge. Prior to this appearance, the pope had been seen by the public only once during his hospital stay, when the Vatican released a photo last week of him at prayer in a hospital chapel.
The brief public outing, marked by warm cheers from well-wishers, comes as the pontiff prepares for his anticipated departure from the hospital later in the afternoon, signaling a cautious step toward recovery amid ongoing health concerns.
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Kyiv has recently received a small number of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors capable of downing Russian ballistic missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. It comes as Britain and France pledged stronger military support for Ukraine.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time being”, Axios reports. Meanwhile, Iran and Oman have resumed talks on a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Only four commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, following 13 transits a day earlier, as disruptions continue to restrict traffic through the key energy chokepoint.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 10 prisoners of war each in Belarus, Moscow's Human Rights Commissioner, Yana Lantratova, has said.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 10 prisoners of war each in Belarus, Moscow's Human Rights Commissioner, Yana Lantratova, has said.
Meta Platforms has agreed to pay up to $16.68 billion and make sweeping changes to Facebook and Instagram to settle claims that its platforms put children and teenagers at risk.
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