Pope Francis reappeared today before the faithful after his recent hernia operation to preside over the Angelus prayer and, before his catechesis, he thanked “from the heart” for the affection received during his days in the hospital.
“Dear brothers and sisters, good morning. I want to express my gratitude to all those who showed me affection, consideration and friendship during my admission to the Gemelli hospital,” he said from the window of the Apostolic Palace before hundreds of faithful in Saint Peter’s Square. .
And he added, with a somewhat shaken voice: “This human and spiritual closeness has been a great help and comfort to me. Thank you all, thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
This was the first public act after his release from the hospital on Friday, although the general audience for next Wednesday has been canceled to guarantee his rest.
The pope has kept private audiences in the Vatican on his agenda and this week he will receive Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Tuesday.
“I pray for the young students who were victims of the brutal attack committed against a school in western Uganda,” declared the Supreme Pontiff before the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, after the Angelus prayer.
He also referred to the shipwreck off the Greek coast, which has left at least dozens dead and hundreds of migrants missing.
“It is with great sadness and much pain that I think of the victims of the very serious shipwreck of recent days off the coast of Greece. And it seems that the sea was calm,” the pontiff said after the Angelus prayer.
“I renew my prayer for those who lost their lives and I implore that everything possible is always done to avoid tragedies like these,” he concluded to recall that this Tuesday marks the United Nations World Refugee Day and, therefore, he asked the world not to spare no efforts to avoid shipwrecks.
Francisco, 86, underwent surgery on June 7 at the Gemelli in Rome for an abdominal hernia that threatened to cause an intestinal obstruction.
It was the third time he was admitted to the Roman hospital, after the colon operation in July 2021 and the pneumonia he suffered last March.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project