Pope Francis made his first public appearance outdoors on Friday, two weeks after canceling a trip to Dubai to attend the COP28 climate conference because of bronchitis.
The pope gradually recovered and on December 8, the Catholic feast day of the Immaculate Conception, he fulfilled the tradition of praying in front of the statue of Our Lady on the Spanish Steps. He arrived in a black car, blessed the crowd and then sat in front of the statue.
The Pope prayed to Mary for “all those oppressed by injustice and poverty in wars.” He also prayed for the “suffering people of Ukraine” as well as Palestinians and Israelis who are “slumping back into the spiral of violence.”
Francis also addressed the issue of violence against women, an issue that has recently resonated in Italy following the murder of a 22-year-old student in northern Italy last month.
“Mary, we need you as a woman to entrust you to all women in this city, in Italy and around the world who have been victims of violence and who continue to be victims,” the pope said.
Before heading to the stairs, Pope Francis visited the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella to pray before one of his favorite images of the Virgin. He entered the cathedral in a wheelchair.
Earlier, he made his first public appearance since his illness, blessing the faithful from an open window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
Francisco, who will celebrate his 87th birthday on December 17, fell ill with the flu on November 25 and had to cancel his trip to Dubai. He later revealed that he had been diagnosed with acute bronchitis, which left him struggling to breathe.
This is his second case of bronchitis this year. In April, he was hospitalized for three days and received intravenous antibiotics.