Pope Makes First Public Appearance In 5 Weeks, Ahead Of Leaving Hospital

Pope Francis on Sunday made his first public appearance in more than five weeks, waving from a balcony at Rome’s Gemelli hospital before his expected discharge from the facility later in the afternoon.

Francis, 88, went to hospital on February 14 with a severe respiratory infection that became the most serious health crisis of his 12-year papacy.

The pope’s doctors said on Saturday that it would still take “a lot of time” for his aging body to fully heal, and said they had prescribed the pontiff a further two months of rest at the Vatican.

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