ON Palm Sunday, Pope Francis thrilled worshippers with a spontaneous tour of St. Peter’s Square, despite doctors advising him to avoid crowds while recovering from pneumonia.
For the second consecutive Sunday following his longest hospital stay as pope, the 88-year-old Pontiff left his Vatican residence, distributing sweets to children and shaking hands while touring the Vatican landmark.
Seated in his wheelchair, the Argentine pope appeared to be in good health, notably without the nasal cannula, used to aid his breathing during recovery, still attached.
Since his discharge from the hospital, the Pope has made several outings despite his doctors advising him to rest, with his unannounced visits not listed on any official Vatican schedule.
AFP reports that on Thursday, the Pope made an unplanned visit to St. Peter’s Basilica to check on renovation progress and to pay his respects at the tomb of Pius X. Then, on Saturday, he visited his favorite Church, Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, for prayer.
During his Sunday Angelus prayer, shared by the Vatican, the Pope expressed gratitude for the prayers of the faithful and reiterated his usual plea for peace in the world.
After his scheduled meeting with King Charles III was canceled due to his health, Pope Francis privately received the British monarch and Queen Camilla on Wednesday.
However, the Vatican has yet to confirm the Pope’s level of involvement in next week’s Easter celebrations, the most sacred period of the Christian calendar.
The Pope was admitted on February 14, 2025, for bronchitis, abd while there, he developed additional infections that required him to remain under the care of doctors, and soon after developed pneumonia in both lungs, according to the Vatican.
He was discharged on March 23 with a prescription of two months of rest and was advised against taking any meetings with large groups.
Fatimah Quadri is a Journalist and a Fact-checker at The ICIR. She has written news articles, fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy in an effort to combat information disorder.
She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org