As the Church begins its most solemn period of the year, Pope Francis made another surprise appearance in St Peter’s Square at the end of Palm Sunday Mass yesterday, wishing the faithful a blessed start to Holy Week. Source: Crux.
“Have a good Palm Sunday, have a good Holy Week!” the Pope told believers, speaking in a still raspy but notably improved voice after being wheeled in front of the main altar in St Peter’s Square by his personal nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti.
Francis was not using oxygen yesterday, as he has been during other sightings throughout the week. He uses it only as needed, mostly at night, and can now go for “prolonged” periods without it during the day.
For the past three weeks, since being discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on March 23, Francis has been undergoing respiratory, motor and speech physiotherapy amid his ongoing recovery from a complex respiratory infection and double pneumonia.
His appearance yesterday for the official start of Holy Week marks the fifth time in the past seven days that he has made unannounced appearances both inside and outside of the Vatican walls, casting doubt as to how closely he is adhering to a doctor-mandated two-month period of rest.
Sunday’s Mass was celebrated by Argentine Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, vice dean of the College of Cardinals and prefect emeritus of the Dicastery for Eastern Churches.
In a written Angelus address published after Mass Sunday, Pope Francis thanked the faithful for their continued prayers for his health and recovery.
He asked faithful to also pray for all those afflicted by war, poverty or natural disasters, especially the victims of a building collapse in the Dominican Republic.
He noted that April 15 will mark “the second sad anniversary” of renewed conflict in Sudan, which has left thousands dead and millions displaced.
He closed praying for peace in other countries at war, including Lebanon, Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, and South Sudan.
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‘Pope of surprises’ puts in unscripted appearance at Palm Sunday Mass (By Elise Ann Allen, Crux)
