Pope Francis made his first public appearance at the Vatican since he was discharged from the hospital on March 23 after a bout with pneumonia. On April 6, the pope surprised onlookers when he made his way through St.

Pope Francis surprised a St. Peter's Square, Vatican, congregation by appearing in a wheelchair toward the end of a mass for the sick and healthcare workers. The big picture: It marked the 88-year-old pontiff's first public appearance since leaving on March 23 Rome's Gemelli hospital,