ROME (AP) – A weak and frail looking Pope Francis appeared on a hospital balcony Sunday to bless the crowd in his first public outing in five weeks and ahead of his release from the hospital after surviving a life-threatening bout of pneumonia.
The 88-year-old pope gave a thumbs up and acknowledged the crowd after he was wheeled out onto the balcony overlooking the main entry of Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where hundreds of people had gathered on a brilliant Sunday morning.
“I see this woman with the yellow flowers. Brava!” a tired and bloated looking Francis said. He gave a weak sign of the cross before being wheeled back inside.
Chants of “Viva il papa!” and “Papa Francesco” erupted from the crowd, which included patients who had been wheeled outside just to catch his brief appearance.
His blessing came before he was due to be released and return home to the Vatican for a two-month period of rest and convalescence.
