Pope Francis's First Public Appearance After Recovery

Pope Francis

Pope Francis's first public appearance since hospitalization

Pope Francis made his first public appearance in five weeks on Sunday after announcing his hospitalization for severe pneumonia.

In a video circulating on social media, Pope Francis is seen waving from the balcony of the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, where he was receiving treatment. "Thank you all," the pontiff said in a low voice from a wheelchair. Pope Francis called for an "immediate" end to the Israeli bombing of Gaza and the resumption of dialogue leading to the release of "all hostages" and a "definitive ceasefire."

"I am saddened by the renewed, intense Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip, which have caused a very large number of deaths and injuries," the pontiff wrote in his Angelus prayer on Sunday. On Saturday, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis would make his first public appearance since mid-February on Sunday, for the Angelus prayer.

The announcement came as the Vatican reported a recent improvement in the Pope's health, following fears for his life due to a lung infection. "The health of the Supreme Pontiff has been confirmed to have improved," the Vatican wrote in a medical bulletin issued Wednesday.

The head of the Catholic Church, which counts approximately 1.4 billion followers worldwide, has suffered from increasing health problems in recent years. As a young man, he underwent surgery to remove part of one of his lungs.