Pope Francis makes first public appearance in weeks after battling life-threatening illness

A frail Pope Francis has made his first public appearance in five weeks after battling a life-threatening case of pneumonia in both lungs. See the photos and video.

Pope Francis greeted and thanked the faithful from a balcony of Rome’s Gemelli hospital, the first time the 88-year-old has been seen in public since his admission on February 14.

“Thank you, everyone”, a weak-sounding Francis said into a microphone on Sunday, as he sat in a wheelchair waving gently to hundreds of people gathered below, and doing the occasional thumbs-up sign.

Pope Francis appears at a window of the Gemelli hospital before being discharged following a five weeks hospitalisation for pneumonia, in Rome on March 23, 2025. Picture: AFP

“I can see that woman with yellow flowers, well done”, he said with a small smile, to laughter from the crowd.

Pope Francis waving to the crowd from a window of the Gemelli hospital in Rome before being discharged following a five weeks hospitalisation for pneumonia. Picture: AFP

Pope Francis appears at a window of the Gemelli hospital. He is to leave hospital today and return to his residence in the Vatican, where he is to spend "at least two months" recovering, one of his doctors announced. Picture: AFP

The head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, who has spent over five weeks in hospital battling pneumonia, was on the balcony for two minutes then was discharged immediately.

He left by car, waving from the closed window of the front seat as he drove past journalists, and could be seen wearing a cannula - a plastic tube tucked into his nostrils which delivers oxygen.

Pope Francis waves as he leaves the Gemelli hospital after a five weeks hospitalisation for pneumonia, in Rome. Picture: AFP

Francis looked tired and thinner than usual. Doctors have said that his health has improved sufficiently for him to go home, but that he still faces a long recovery of at least two months.

It comes as the pontiff called Sunday for an “immediate” end to Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip, and for the resumption of dialogue for the release of hostages and a “definitive ceasefire”.

“I am saddened by the resumption of the intense Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, with so many deaths and injuries”, Francis wrote in his Angelus prayer, which was published Sunday as Francis was being discharged from hospital.

“I ask that the weapons be silenced immediately and that the courage be found to resume dialogue so that all the hostages can be freed and a definitive ceasefire reached”, said Francis, who was set to return to the Vatican on Sunday.

Originally published as Pope Francis makes first public appearance in weeks after battling life-threatening illness