Pope Francis has made his first public appearance since a recent hospital stay.
After five weeks of dealing with double pneumonia, the Pope was released from a Roman hospital and returned to the Vatican, CNN reported.
Following a public appearance on a balcony in which he waved and delivered a thumbs-up, the Catholic leader made his way out of the hospital, CNN reported.
“Thank you to everyone!” Francis said during his appearance, according to Vatican News.
Last month, the pontiff was hospitalized, and the Vatican said he had developed pneumonia in both of his lungs.
“The laboratory tests, chest X-ray, and clinical conditions of the Holy Father continue to present a complex picture,” the Vatican said at the time in a statement.
A few weeks later, the Vatican said that Francis had suffered two episodes of “acute respiratory insufficiency,” also saying that the pontiff received two bronchoscopies.
“Today, the Holy Father suffered two episodes of acute respiratory insufficiency, caused by a significant accumulation of endobronchial mucus and consequent bronchospasm,” a previous statement from the Vatican read.
