Pope Francis made a surprise appearance at St Peter’s Square for Palm Sunday Mass as he appeared in improved health.
The pope was holding a bouquet of flowers and wheeled in to the ceremony in Vatican City, in which more than 30,000 people had gathered, as he recovers from double pneumonia.
As he was escorted by several security guards who pushed him through on his wheelchair, Francis waved to thousands of fans who took pictures and reached out to hold his hand.
Others preformed prayer gestures and touched him with religious jewelry.
In a wholesome moment, the pope gave a young boy and girl two sweets each.
‘Happy Palm Sunday, Happy Holy Week,’ the pope said, before once returning inside the Vatican, stopping occasionally to talk with the faithful, including a group of delighted nuns.
The 88-year-old pontiff, who is in the third week of doctor-ordered rest, has made three surprise public appearances in the last week.
He also briefly met Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla.
The royal, 77, and her husband King Charles, 76, met Pope Francis during an unexpected visit to the capital of the Catholic Church as part of a state visit to Italy.
Charles and Camilla’s meeting took place at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, where the Pope has been recovering for three weeks.
‘I’m still alive,’ the pope said after his discharge on Saturday from from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where he underwent a series of tests after experiencing breathing difficulties and chest pain.
The pope’s decision to come out has been an encouraging sign he might be feeling stronger.
He has been using a cannula – a plastic tube tucked into the nostrils – to help him breathe.
Unlike last Sunday, when he made his first public appearance since being discharged from hospital three weeks ago, the pope was not receiving oxygen via the small hose under his nose.
Francis thrilled the crowd at St. Peter’s during a Jubilee Mass for the ill on Sunday, met privately with King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Wednesday, before an impromptu turn through St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday.
His medical team have urged him to take two months rest and the pope initially remained out of view after returning home.
It is still not known how much he will participate in the forthcoming Holy Week – the most important week in the Church calendar which is packed with services and events.
On Tuesday, the Vatican said that Francis’s voice and mobility were improving, raising hopes that he may take part in upcoming Easter celebrations.
