Pope Francis made an unexpected appearance in St. Peter’s Square on Palm Sunday, offering a reassuring sign of his recovery from a recent health scare involving double pneumonia.
The 88-year-old pope, who is still in recovery, was brought to the main altar in a wheelchair, where he greeted the crowd of over 20,000 faithful, wishing them a “Good Palm Sunday” and a “Good Holy Week.” This was a positive moment for many, as he did not need the supplemental oxygen tubes he had used during a similar appearance the previous Sunday.
On his return to St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope took time to bless a rosary and even handed out sweets to a young boy who had come to greet him.
Private meetings and visits
Pope Francis is now in his fourth week of recovery, with doctors advising him to continue avoiding large crowds for the time being. While he appears eager to show he is feeling better, he has only spoken briefly in public as he recovers from a serious respiratory condition. The Vatican has yet to provide guidance on the role he will play in the upcoming Holy Week services, which lead up to Easter Sunday.
In recent days, the pope met privately with King Charles III and Queen Camilla. He also took an impromptu tour of St. Peter’s Basilica, where he paused to pray and to thank two restorers for their work on the basilica’s masterpieces.
On the Saturday before Holy Week, Pope Francis visited the St. Mary Major Basilica in central Rome. There, he prayed before the Salus Populi Romani, an icon of the Virgin Mary, which he holds in great reverence. The basilica, a place he often visits before and after his foreign trips, was also the site of his first stop after leaving the Gemelli hospital on 23 March.
Palm Sunday blessings and reflections
In a traditional Sunday blessing, the pope expressed gratitude to the faithful for their prayers, saying, “At this time of physical weakness, they help me to feel God’s closeness, compassion, and tenderness even more.”
Pope Francis also offered prayers for those suffering in the ongoing conflict in Sudan, which marks its second anniversary this week. He remembered Lebanon, where the civil war began 50 years ago, and also called for peace in Ukraine, the Middle East, Congo, Myanmar, and South Sudan.
The start of Holy Week
In a Palm Sunday homily read by Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, the pope urged the faithful to carry the cross of those who suffer around us, as the solemnity of Holy Week begins.
Cardinal Sandri, who is the vice dean of the College of Cardinals, led the Palm Sunday celebrations, guiding a procession of cardinals around the central obelisk in St. Peter’s Square. They carried an intricately braided palm, a symbol of Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem, when the crowds waved palm branches to honour him.
This welcoming moment contrasts with the suffering that will follow, leading up to Christ’s crucifixion on Good Friday and his resurrection, which will be celebrated on Easter Sunday.
As the procession concluded, the faithful emerged from St. Peter’s Square, each carrying blessed palm fronds or olive branches, marking the beginning of Holy Week.
