Vatican City: Pope Francis emerged from his convalescence on Easter Sunday to bless thousands of people in St Peter’s Square and treat them to a surprise popemobile tour through the piazza.
He drew wild cheers and applause as he continues his recovery from a near-fatal bout of double pneumonia.
“Viva il Papa!” (Long live the Pope), “Bravo!” the crowd shouted as 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 Pope fought for his life.
“Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!” Francis said, his voice sounding stronger than it has since he was released from the hospital on March 23 after a five-week stay.
Pope Francis tours St Peter’s Square in his popemobile.Credit: AP
Francis didn’t 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 and imparted the apostolic blessing in Latin.
The crowd of people below, estimated by the Vatican to be more than 35,000, erupted in cheers as a military band kicked off rounds of the Holy See anthem.
“It is excellent, a miracle,” said Margarita Torres Hernandez, a pilgrim from Mexico who was in the square. “Now that he has come out, for me it’s a miracle, it’s something very big, very beautiful.”
On his way to the basilica, Francis met briefly in his hotel with US Vice President J.D. Vance, who was spending Easter in Rome with his family. The Vatican said the encounter lasted just a few minutes and was designed to allow for an exchange of Easter greetings.
Francis gave Vance three big chocolate Easter eggs to give to his three young children.
AP
Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter.