Pope Francis blesses crowd in first public appearance since February

The Vatican announced on Saturday that the Pope would be discharged the next day, after more than a month of treatment, to convalesce in the Casa Santa Marta.

Shortly before his expected discharge from the Gemelli Hospital on Sunday, Pope Francis made a brief appearance from a fifth-floor balcony at the hospital to a crowd gathered outside.

In his first public engagement in weeks, the Pope waved and gave a “thumps-up” before blessing the crowd and briefly thanking one well-wisher for bringing flowers for the occasion.

After the short interaction, he returned to his hospital room. He was scheduled to return to his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta later in the day.

The Vatican published a brief written message from the Pope as he made his appearance at noon.

“During this long period of hospitalisation, I have had the opportunity to experience the patience of the Lord, which I also see reflected in the tireless care of doctors and healthcare workers, as well as in the attentiveness and hopes of the patients’ families,” he said.

“This confident patience, anchored in God’s love that never fails, is truly necessary for our lives, especially to face the most difficult and painful situations.”

In his message, the Pope reflected on this Third Sunday of Lent’s gospel reading about the barren fig tree, drawing parallels between the patient farmer in the parable and God’s merciful approach to humanity.

He called for a ceasefire in Gaza, demanding “that weapons be silenced immediately, and that there be the courage to resume dialogue, so that all hostages may be freed and a definitive ceasefire reached”.

Francis emphasised that the humanitarian situation in Gaza “is once again extremely serious and requires the urgent commitment of the warring parties and the international community”.

Separately, he expressed satisfaction with diplomatic progress in the Caucasus.

“I am pleased, however, that Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on the final text of the peace agreement,” he said. “I hope that it will be signed as soon as possible and can thus contribute to establishing a lasting peace in the South Caucasus.”

Prior to his window appearance, Pope Francis briefly met the leadership of the Catholic University and Gemelli Polyclinic, including Rector Elena Beccalli, Foundation President Daniele Franco, Medicine Faculty Dean Antonio Gasbarrini, Vice President Giuseppe Fioroni, Director General Marco Elefanti, General Ecclesiastical Assistant Mgr Claudio Giuliodori, and Prof Sergio Alfieri, who heads the medical team overseeing the pontiff’s care, along with Dr Andrea Cambieri, medical director of the Gemelli Polyclinic Foundation.

The Vatican announced on Saturday that the Pope would be discharged the next day after more than a month of treatment. Hospital officials said he will continue convalescing at his apartment in Casa Santa Marta for at least two months and will require oxygen therapy during his convalescence.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, his doctors said Francis would undergo a “protected discharge” and would require treatment “for a long time”.

John Paul II stayed in the Gemelli hospital so often that he dubbed it his Vatican III

First image of Pope since hospitalisation after ‘gradual improvements’

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