Pope Francis appears on Easter Sunday at St. Peter’s Square as he continues recovery

Pope Francis made a brief appearance on Easter Sunday to bless the thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square as he continues his recovery from a near-fatal bout of double pneumonia.

“Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!” Francis said, his voice sounding stronger than it has since his hospitalization. “Viva il Papa!” (Long live the pope), the crowd responded.

Francis looped through the square in his open-topped popemobile and then up and down the main avenue leading to it. He stopped occasionally to bless babies brought up to him, a scene that was common in the past but unthinkable just a few weeks ago as the 88-year-old Francis fought for his life.

Since his release from the hospital nearly a month ago, Francis has been slowly returning to work and has made several Sunday appearances at St. Peter’s Square, much to the relief and adoration of the crowd that gathers every weekend. He skipped the solemn services of Good Friday and Holy Saturday leading up to Easter, but he had been expected to appear on Sunday.

TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images

Unlike in years past, the 88-year-old pontiff did not celebrate the Easter Mass in the piazza, delegating it to Cardinal Angelo Comastri, the retired archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica.

But after the Mass ended, Francis appeared on the loggia balcony over the basilica entrance for more than 20 minutes. The thousands of people below erupted in cheers as a military band kicked off rounds of the Holy See and Italian anthems.

Francis waved from the balcony and then asked a Vatican archbishop to read his speech, a global appeal for peace in the world’s hotspots that is the hallmark of the Vatican’s Easter celebrations. Afterward, he imparted the apostolic blessing in Latin.

On his way to the basilica, Francis briefly met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who spent Easter in Rome with his family.

Easter is the most joyful moment on the Christian liturgical calendar, when the faithful celebrate the resurrection of Christ after his crucifixion. This year, Easter is being celebrated on the same day by Catholics and Orthodox Christians.

ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images

Easter at the Vatican traditionally involves a Mass and the pope’s Urbi et Orbi blessing (Latin for “to the city and the world”), a papal speech delivered from the loggia, which is usually a roundup of global hotspots and human suffering.

In the speech, read by Archbishop Diego Ravelli, master of liturgical ceremonies, Francis appealed for peace in Gaza and Ukraine, as well as Congo, Myanmar and in other hotspots.

“May the risen Christ grant Ukraine, devastated by war, his Easter gift of peace, and encourage all parties involved to pursue efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace,” the message said. “In this Jubilee year, may Easter also be a fitting occasion for the liberation of prisoners of war and political prisoners!”

More from CBS News

Source link