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The 88-year-old pontiff made an unexpected appearance at St. Peter’s Square during a special Jubilee Mass dedicated to the sick and healthcare workers on Sunday. This marked his first public appearance at the Vatican since leaving the hospital two weeks prior.

As Pope Francis was wheeled to the altar without prior announcement, the crowd responded with enthusiastic applause and standing ovations. The Pope greeted the gathering with renewed energy, saying “Good Sunday to everyone” through a microphone, which required a second attempt to function properly.

His voice demonstrated notable improvement compared to his previous public address outside Gemelli hospital on March 23, when he was discharged after fighting a severe case of pneumonia during a five-week hospitalization. Currently, he is following medical orders to rest for at least two months while undergoing physical, respiratory, and speech therapy, along with treatment for an ongoing lung condition.

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During the service, the Pope’s personal experience with illness was referenced both in the traditional Sunday blessing and in the homily, which was delivered by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, who oversees the Holy Year expected to attract approximately 30 million pilgrims to Rome.

“In this moment of my life I share a lot: the experience of infirmity, feeling weak, depending on the others for many things, needing support,” the Pope stated in the homily read by Fisichella. “It is not easy, but it is a school in which we learn every day to love and to let ourselves be loved, without demanding and without rejecting, without regretting, without despairing, grateful to God and to our brothers for the good that we receive, trusting for what is still to come.”

In his Sunday blessing, Pope Francis expressed his support for healthcare professionals, acknowledging their challenging working conditions and occasional exposure to violence. He emphasized that their crucial mission requires both support and respect.

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