Pope Francis made his first public appearance outdoors since two weeks ago, when he canceled a trip to Dubai to attend the COP28 climate conference due to bronchitis.
The pope gradually recovered and on December 8, the Feast 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.
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.