Vatican Shares Photos of Pope Francis’ First Public Appearance After Five Weeks in Hospital

• The Vatican has shared fresh photos of Pope Francis, as he made his first appearance after five weeks in hospital
• Pope Francis, 88, had been hospitalised with severe bronchitis, raising concerns about his ability to continue leading the Catholic Church and prompting discussions about succession
• The statement shared the photos of the Pope as he made his first public appearance on Sunday, March 23, 2025

The Vatican has shared photos of Pope Francis as he finally made his first public appearance since he was hospitalised.

The 88-year-old pontiff, who battled respiratory issues for years, was hospitalised with severe bronchitis, forcing him to cancel several public engagements.

The Pope was hospitalised on February 14, 2025, and after five weeks, the Vatican shared photos from his first public appearance.

Photos of Pope's first public appearance

In a post by @vaticannews on Instagram, photos from Pope's first public appearance on Sunday, March 23, 2025, were released.

Read also

Pope makes first appearance in public after 5 weeks of battling several health conditions in hospital

The photos showed the Pope greeting the over 3,000 faithful who came to grace his first appearance at Rome's Gomelli Hospital.

In the caption, the Vatican confirmed that the Pope had been discharged from the hospital and returned to the Vatican.

It read:

"Pope Francis made his first public appearance in over 5 weeks, appearing at the window of Rome’s Gemelli Hospital shortly after 12pm. He greeted the crowd of 3,000 people cheering for him.

"The Pope imparted his apostolic blessing and expressed his gratitude saying, “Thank you to everyone!”

"Before returning to Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican, he stopped at the Basilica of St. Mary Major and had flowers placed at the altar with the icon of Salus Popoli Romani."

Moments after the Pope's first public appearance, he was discharged, with doctors advising that he would need at least two months of rest at the Vatican to recover fully.

Read also

Pope Francis to make first public appearance since he was hospitalised, Vatican releases date, time

Doctors confirmed that Pope Francis had not been intubated and remained alert throughout his treatment, despite his double pneumonia diagnosis.

While he is not entirely healed, his condition has stabilised, and he no longer suffers from pneumonia.

Reactions trail Pope's first public appearance

Many who came across the pictures on Instagram shared their thoughts on his looks and expressed excitement

Legit.ng compiled some of the reactions.

@dokterpeters said:

"Thank you God. Stay healthy papa, Pope Francis, our Holy Father. May God always bless us."

@tjongfanfan said:

"Thank You Lord Jesus and Mother Mary for answer our Prayer..for Blessings Pope Francis...always healthy Papa Francesco..God Bless."

@celemaria44 said:

"Our prayers worked. Pope Francis is back to the Vatican."

Before his release, Pope Francis was seen publicly only once during his hospital stay, in a photograph released by the Vatican showing him praying in the hospital chapel.

Read also

NBA's Celtics sold for record $6.1 bn: Boston Globe

King Charles and wife to visit Pope Francis

Legit.ng earlier reported that Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla are set to meet with Pope Francis during their upcoming state visit to Italy and the Vatican from April 7 to 10.

The highlight of the visit will be the Jubilee Year celebration, a Holy Year event observed every 25 years, with a focus on forgiveness and reconciliation.

Source: Legit.ng