Pope to give blessing from hospital window in first appearance since getting ill

The pope is expected to make his first public appearance from a window of the Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome on Sunday, more than five weeks since he was admitted there.

As in recent weeks, the Angelus prayer will not be read by Francis but will be broadcast. However, his visual presence will be a new development that will be greatly welcomed by his followers.

Currently, there are around 1.4 billion Catholics, which means about every seventh person in the world is one.

On Friday, the Vatican reported that Pope Francis’ health remains stable with slight improvements in both his respiratory and motor functions. He continues drug therapy, as well as respiratory and physical therapy. At night, he no longer requires mechanical ventilation and now relies on high-flow oxygen through nasal cannulae, which he is reportedly using less frequently during the day.

The next official medical update is expected no earlier than Monday, according to Vatican sources.