Pope Francis, who is recovering from life-threatening pneumonia, made an unscheduled visit to St Peter’s Basilica yesterday, his second surprise event in two days after previously meeting King Charles III.The public appearance, after Wednesday’s unscheduled private audience with the king and Queen Camilla, comes as the 88-year-old Catholic leader recovers at the Vatican after five weeks in hospital.In a video verified by Reuters, the 88-year-old Pontiff is seen in a wheelchair wearing black pants and with a striped blanket wrapped around his chest.The Pope rarely makes public appearances wearing civilian garb rather than his traditional papal vestments, but has occasionally dressed down during some trips abroad.The date of the video recording was verified by Reuters by its metadata and confirmed by the person who shared it.“We were visiting St Peter’s Basilica and saw some guards passing by and making way, so we went to see what it was, and it was the Pope,” said Luiz Gil, who took the video. “Few people noticed, it was very quick, but he stopped to talk to a family with a baby.”Vatican News later reported that the Pope greeted workers engaged in restoration work and some gathered pilgrims, Vatican News reported.A video published by Ansa news agency showed the Pope wearing a cannula – a tube tucked into the nostrils – to help him breathe.When a young restorer caught a glimpse of the Pope, he beckoned to her to come closer so he could thank her and shake her hand, Ansa reported.The woman replied “that she was sorry that her ‘hands were cold’ but the Pope wanted to shake them anyway”.Monsignor Valerio Di Palma, the canon of St Peter’s, told Vatican News that the Pope’s appearance sparked “too much emotion”.“My vision blurred from the tears and I couldn’t even take a photo,” he said.On Wednesday afternoon, the Pope met privately with Charles and Camilla for 20 minutes, despite Buckingham Palace having earlier cancelled a planned official audience due to the Pontiff’s frail health.It was the first meeting between Charles, the head of the Protestant Church of England, and the Pope since the monarch ascended to the throne in 2022.The Vatican published a photo of the meeting yesterday morning, showing the Pope clasping the queen’s hand, with the king nearby holding a gift box.Francis offered his congratulations to the royal couple, who celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary on Wednesday, the palace and the Vatican said.During the encounter, the king – who is receiving treatment for cancer – and the Pope also exchanged well-wishes for each other’s health, the Vatican said.“Their majesties were delighted the Pope was well enough to host them – and to have had the opportunity to share their best wishes in person,” a Buckingham Palace statement added.Charles, 76, has been suffering from an unnamed cancer for more than a year and less than two weeks ago he was briefly admitted to hospital after experiencing side effects from his treatment.He was out of action for a matter of days before resuming his official engagements on April 1.Francis, who almost died twice during his treatment for double pneumonia, has been in convalescence since his return to the Vatican on March 23.Despite being ordered to rest and recover for two months, the Argentine made an unexpected appearance in St Peter’s Square last Sunday at the end of a mass.On Tuesday, the Vatican said that Francis’s voice and mobility were improving, raising hopes that he may take part in upcoming Easter celebrations. – AFP/Reuters
