It is a moment of great importance after his hospitalization for over a month, Pope Francis appears celebrating mass inside the chapel of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome. Vatican released the first photograph of the 88-year-old pontiff on Sunday as it announced his gradual return to spiritual duties and on-going medical treatment.
The picture shows Pope Francis sitting in a wheelchair, wearing a white robe and purple stole at an unassuming altar, behind which there is a crucifix on the wall. It is worth noting he is hatless, sans his normal white top hat. This is the first public view the pope since he was hospitalized on February 14 for severe pneumonia in both lungs – a condition doctors said for weeks.
Lacking in the ability to send out the Angelus prayer from St. Peter’s Square for the fifth consecutive Sunday, Pope Francis, expressed gratitude in a written message sent out for all the prayers and care received by him. Our bodies are feeble, but nothing will stop us from loving, praying and standing with one another, he wrote to his followers. 
Huge as his frailty is, the pope is a symbol of hope. Outside the hospital, tango dancers and children crowded to offer their backing, evidencing his connection to mankind across the world. With Easter on the horizon, the Vatican is maintaining hope about his recovery and recalling the pope’s unshakeable dedication to his ministry.
