Pope Francis was photographed in the hospital for the first time since he was admitted last month for double pneumonia.
The 88 -year -old Pope concelebrated Holy Mass on Sunday morning in the Chapel of the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, said the Vatican, sharing the first image of the Pope since his hospitalization.
A Vatican official also confirmed on Sunday that his condition remains stable.
“Throughout the day, he continued his therapy, including motor and respiratory physiotherapy. It has particularly benefited from motor physiotherapy, ”said the official in an informative session. “During the day, he could work a little, and in the next few days we will see the results of his work.”
Last week, Francis exceeded four weeks of hospitalization just after marking the 12th anniversary of his choice as the 266 Pope.
Earlier this month, Francis virtually participated in the spiritual retreat of a week of the Vatican, an annual meeting that begins the solemn Lent season of the Catholic Church that leads to Easter. He joined videoconferencing, where he could see and listen to Reverend Roberto Pasolini, preacher of the papal house, but the priests, bishops and cardinals in the Vatican auditorium could not see it or listen to it.
Francis, who had part of a lung, retired when he was young, was admitted on February 14 as a result of complex respiratory infection. What initially was a bad case of bronchitis progressed in a respiratory tract infection and double pneumonia that threatened his life and generated concerns about his papacy’s future.
But the Pope has been declared safe from the imminent danger of death, and has been making gradual progress in his recovery. His last medical bulletin said that a chest x -ray confirmed improvements.
Even so, doctors have remained cautious about their general fragility, saying that it needs to remain hospitalized for an un specified number of days.
