He Pope Francis reappeared this Sunday in the San Pedro del Vaticano Squarein a surprising departure during his recovery process for a double pneumonia that kept him hospitalized for weeks.
In wheelchair and oxygen cannulasthe pontiff greeted the faithful and gave them their blessing after a mass dedicated to the sick.
The weakness that crosses was evidenced by the sound of oxygen that leaked through the microphone during his speech.
“Good Sunday to all. Thank you very much”, He said in a fragile voice but clearer than when he was discharged on March 23 of the Gemelli Hospital in Rome.
In a text subsequently read by a woman, Francisco shared a deep reflection on suffering and vulnerability.
“Dear siblings and sick sisters, at this time in my life I share a lot with you: the experience of the disease, to feel weak, to depend on others for many things, to have the need for support. It is not always easy, but it is a school where we learn every day to love and let ourselves love,” said the pontiff.
The Pope also stressed that “the disease is one of the most difficult and hard tests of life,” but recalled that even “the hospital room and the bed of the disease can be places where the voice of the Lord is heard.”
Citing Benedict XVI, he stressed that “a society that fails to accept those who suffer is cruel and inhuman.”
Francisco concluded his message with a call not to marginalize the fragile: “Let’s not apart the pain of our environments. We make an occasion to grow together.”
His appearance had not been announced, and marks his first public act in the Vatican since his entry on February 14.
Although the Vatican has reported advances in his health, Francisco should continue with at least two months of strict rest without direct contact with faithful, as medical indications.
During their hospitalization, doctors reported that their life was at risk twice.