Pope Francis spent his final day celebrating Easter Sunday with Catholic faithful in St Peter’s Square.
The 88-year-old pontiff delivered his ‘Urbi et Orbi’ benediction from a balcony overlooking the square following mass to mark the holiday.
Images showed Francis in traditional white robes on the central lodge of St Peter’s Basilica as he waved to the eager crowds.
Thousands of faithful gathered under hazy skies in the sprawling plaza decorated with brightly-coloured tulips yesterday, hoping to catch a glimpse of the pontiff on what turned out to be his last appearance before his death was announced today.
Francis was released from hospital on March 23, after five weeks of treatment for pneumonia. In February, the world held its breath as the Vatican announced the Pope – who last part of his lung as a child – was struggling to breathe and needed oxygen.
Surprisingly, the Pope was not wearing a nasal cannula hooked up to oxygen when he was driven through the crowd of 35,000 faithful yesterday after wearing it during previous public appearances following his hospital release.
For about 50 minutes, the pontiff’s vehicle slowly moved through the masses, but Italian media now speculate that doctors would have advised against him bathing in the crowd as he was likely immunocompromised following his pneumonia battle.