Pope makes surprise appearance in St Peter's Square

Image: Vatican Media

Source: Vatican Media

Pope Francis was not scheduled to make any official appearances this Sunday, however, as Mass for the Jubilee of the Sick and Healthcare Workers was coming to an end, he made a surprise visit to St Peter's Square - his first public appearance since leaving hospital on 23 March. The Pope was wearing nasal cannulas to facilitate his breathing.

Passing through the congregation, the Pope reached the altar, where Mass had been celebrated by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation.

After the final blessing, Pope Francis addressed the gathered pilgrims with a few simple words: "Have a good Sunday. Thank you all!" Immediately afterwards, he returned to Casa Santa Marta.

The crowds were thrilled to see him, expressing their enthusiasm and joy with applause and many shouts of "Viva il Papa".

The Holy See Press Office said that before greeting and thanking the faithful in St Peter's Square, the Holy Father "received the sacrament of reconciliation in St Peter's Basilica, recollected himself in prayer and passed through the Holy Door."

This means that Pope had taken the various steps required to obtain a plenary indulgence, in union with the pilgrims who had come to the Vatican for the Jubilee of the Sick and Healthcare Workers this weekend.

Earlier, during the Mass, the Pope's homily was In his homily was read by Archbishop Rino Fisichella.

Reflecting on the reading from the the prophet Isaiah, the Pope invited the faithful to contemplate the situation of the Israelites in exile: "it seemed that all was lost", yet, it was precisely in their moment of trial that a new nation was bring born.

Pope Francis compared this experience to the woman in the day's Gospel reading, who had been condemned and ostracised for her sins. Her accusers, ready to cast the first stone, were halted by the quiet authority of Jesus who told her "Go your way. You are free. You are saved".

In comparing the stories, Pope Francis says that God does not wait for our lives to be perfect before he intervenes in them. Rather, "He enters into our wounds. He knocks at our door, not despite our suffering, but because of it."

Turning then to those who are ill and to all those who assist them, the Pope acknowledged the deep suffering that illnesses can bring. "It can make us feel like the people in exile… or like the woman in the Gospel," he said. But, he continued, it can also be a place of encounter, a "school" in which we learn to love and be loved with humility and grace.

Pope Francis then reflected on his own illness, and consequent dependence on others, describing it not as a burden but as a lesson in trust, gratitude and hope. "Let us not push back", he said, adding: "Let us allow ourselves to be loved".

Pope Francis then turned to the healthcare professionals, thanking them for their work and encouraging them to receive every patient as an opportunity to renew their sense of humanity. "The sickbed can become a holy place," he said, "where charity burns away indifference and gratitude nourishes hope."

Bringing his address to a close, Pope Francis recalled the words of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI, who reminded the Church that "the true measure of humanity is determined in relation to suffering". A society that turns its back on the weak, he warned, becomes cruel and inhuman.

Finally, Pope Francis urged all those present to resist the temptation to marginalise and forget those who are elderly, ill, or weighed down by the hardships of life. "Let us not banish suffering from our surroundings," he said. "Let us not exclude those who are frail." Instead, we must allow God's love - poured into our hearts - to transform even suffering into a space of communion and growth.