Pope Francis made a rare public appearance on Easter Sunday, less than a month after he was discharged from Rome's Gemelli hospital following a lengthy illness, which included a severe respiratory infection and bilateral pneumonia. He had entered the hospital five weeks earlier, on Feb. 14, with a case of bronchitis.
Doctors who sent the pope home in late March said he would require two months of convalescence, including rest and additional medical treatment.
On Sunday, Francis did not preside over the Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square, instead delegating it to Italian Cardinal Angelo Comastri.
But he did appear on the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican for the reading of a blessing he'd written. He also toured through St. Peter's Square in his modified Mercedes-Benz G-Class known as the popemobile, greeting the crowds of worshippers who had gathered for Easter mass.
"The resurrection of Jesus is indeed the basis of our hope," Francis wrote in his Urbi et Orbi message, which translates as "to the city and to the world," the text of which was read aloud by Archbishop Diego Ravelli.
Francis, in his Urbi et Orbi message, also renewed his call for peace in places across the world experiencing violent conflicts and humanitarian crises, including Israel and Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Ukraine.
The pope added: "On this day, I would like all of us to hope anew and to revive our trust in others, including those who are different than ourselves, or who come from distant lands, bringing unfamiliar customs, ways of life and ideas!"
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