Vatican Releases New Photo of Pope

The Vatican on Sunday released the first photograph of pope in more than a month, showing Pope Francis wearing a purple Lenten liturgical vestments sitting in a wheelchair in front of an altar in the hospital chapel. The Vatican said he was participating in the celebration of the Mass with other priests. No one else is visible in the photo. It is the first photograph of the pope since he was hospitalized on Feb. 14 with a severe case of bronchitis, which developed into double pneumonia. It is also the first time the Vatican mentions that the pope has participated in celebrating a Mass in the period, the AP reports.

Earlier in the day, dozens of children toting yellow and white balloons—many from war-torn countries—gathered outside Rome's Gemelli hospital to greet the pope. One of them was 12-year-old Anastasia, who got up at 5am to make the trip from Naples with the hopes of delivering the message directly to the pope. "I wrote, 'Pope Francis, get well and return home soon,'" she said. "We love you, all of the children are praying for you." Doctors last week said that the pope's medical condition is no longer critical, but they have continued to emphasize that it remains complex. Still, they are issuing fewer medical bulletins as the pontiff has been on an upward trajectory. An X-ray last week confirmed that a lung infection was clearing.

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