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Pope Francis is not expected to meet with large groups of faithful until at least the end of May.
The moment marked his first public engagement in weeks.
In his prepared March 9 homily for the first Sunday of Lent, the Holy Father said difficulties and trials do not "end in failure” for Christians who embrace their relationship with God our redeemer.
Vatican sources reported that the 88-year-old pontiff met Sunday morning with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, and Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra.
Pope Francis spent a peaceful night and continued his treatment at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, still managing to share a prepared Angelus message.
Pope Francis, reflecting on the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, says it serves as a reminder that Jesus is salvation for all peoples and our light.
During his Angelus address, the Holy Father also expressed his hope that all hostages “may finally return home and embrace their loved ones” and for the opening of humanitarian corridors into Gaza.
“The star,” Pope Francis said, “speaks to us of that unique light that can show to all people the way to salvation and happiness, namely that of love.”
“Let us not be afraid to throw open bright windows of closeness to those who are suffering, of forgiveness, of compassion, and reconciliation,” Pope Francis said from the window of the Apostolic Palace on Jan. 5.
In his first Angelus address of 2025, Pope Francis called for debt relief for the world’s poorest nations and renewed his appeals for peace.
“Never, never this,” Francis said about mobile phones at the family table. “Talk, listen to each other, this is the dialogue that is good for you and that makes you grow!”
“My thoughts go to the many families in South Korea who are mourning today following the dramatic air accident,” the pope said.
In his Angelus address on Dec. 26, Pope Francis reflected on Stephen’s last words as he was being stoned to death: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
The pope also encouraged everyone to “open our hearts and minds to the Lord Jesus, born of Mary Immaculate” as the Church prepares for Jubilee 2025.
Pope Francis on Sunday addressed cosmic upheavals, modern anxieties, and current conflicts while emphasizing hope and spiritual vigilance.
During his homily and Angelus address, the Holy Father repeated his plea for Catholics to show their closeness to the poor through gestures of care.
Every Sunday, Pope Francis appears at a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square to give a brief spiritual reflection before leading the Angelus prayer.
In his Angelus address on Friday, the solemnity of All Saints, Pope Francis spoke about the “identity card” of the Christian.
For All Souls’ Day, Francis will continue his custom of holding a Mass in a local cemetery to pray for the dead, especially the holy souls in purgatory.
“Let us remember this: True wealth is not the goods of this world. True wealth is being loved by God and learning to love like him,” Francis said Oct. 13.