Vatican:
Pope Francis was “happy” to go this week, but although his health improves, it is too early to confirm his participation in Easter celebrations, the Vatican said Friday.
The 88-year-old Catholic leader, who recovers from life-threatening pneumonia, has been published in recent days on three unplanned events-included a surprise visit to the Sint-Peter’s Basilica on Thursday-in-doctors who encouraged him to rest.
“The pope took a walk yesterday morning, he asked to extend the walk by praying in the Basilica,” Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni told Bruni reporters during a briefing.
Francis, who sat everywhere in a wheelchair, surprised a family of tourists and employees who are involved in restoration work when he suddenly appeared without his papal robe.
The head of the Argentinian was uncovered and he wore a top with long sleeves, black priestly pants and a striped poncho or blanket instead of his traditional white robes, according to a video published by Ansa News Agency.
He was wearing a cannula – a plastic tube in the nostrils – to help him breathe, but looked cheerful and stopped to say hello to a child.
“He was happy to go to the basilica and greet people,” said Bruni.
Bruni confirmed that the pope’s outing was a spontaneous who overwhelmed some Vatican officials and said, “Sometimes things are born from a desire to surprise, and they surprise us too.”
The fast journey to the Basilica followed an unplanned private audience on Wednesday with King Charles III and Queen Camilla and an unexpected appearance on the Saint Peter’s Square on Sunday at the end of a mass.
Francis, leader of the 1.4 billion Catholics in the world since 2013, returned to the Vatican on March 23 after five weeks in the Gemelli hospital of Rome.
On Friday, the Vatican said that his voice and mobility were improving, but warned that it was too early to say if he will participate in next week’s Easter celebrations.
“There are improvements (in his health) that you have been able to notice with the trips in recent days,” said Bruni.
“However, we do not make specific predictions for the Holy Week,” he said, adding that it not only depended on the health of the pope, but also “from the weather”.
(Except for the headline, this story was not edited by NDTV staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.)
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