Pope Francis, 88, greets crowd from wheelchair in his first appearance at Vatican since battling pneumonia in hospital
THE Pope has greeted the crowd as he was seen at the Vatican for the first time since battling with pneumonia.
Pope Francis, 88, was rolled into St Peters Square in a wheelchair during a special Jubilee Mass for the sick on Sunday.
The pontiff lifted his hands to wave at the crowd, who stood and applauded, as he was rolled to the front of the altar in the square.
The Pope said: "Good Sunday to everyone. Thank you very much."
The Pope appeared to be in better health than when he was last seen in public shortly before his release from hospital.
The pontiff appeared briefly behind a glass balcony on the fifth floor at Gemelli University Hospital in Rome where he greeted and blessed a waiting crowd.
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He looked sickly as he sat in a wheelchair but he made the appearance without the assistance of oxygen.
Francis blessed the crowd, thanked them for coming to speak to him, and pointed out a woman who had brought yellow flowers to wish him well.
He gave a weak sign of the cross before being wheeled back inside.
The Pope was hospitalised on February 14 and spent five weeks in hospital.
During that time he suffered numerous health problems including kidney failure and numerous respiratory crises.
He also battled pneumonia in both lungs, and had to be placed on a ventilator to breathe for him and receive oxygen through a nasal cannula.
When the pontiff's discharge was announced Gemelli's medical director, Doctor Sergio Alfieri, said that he would need at least two months of rest and rehabilitation during his recovery.
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