Pope Francis Celebrates Palm Sunday After Hospitalization

Pope Francis, dressed in a long white coat, conducted Mass in St. Peter's Square on Palm Sunday before tens of thousands of worshippers, just one day following a stay at a hospital for bronchitis treatment.

The sun shone as the lengthy service unfolded, with the pontiff wearing red vestments over his coat. He joined a procession at the tail end of the event, carrying a braided palm branch in the popemobile. Other participants held palm fronds and olive tree branches.

At 86 years old, Francis was treated with antibiotics intravenously during his three-day hospital stay. He had been taken ill at the previous Wednesday's public audience and admitted to Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic.

In his homily, Francis touched on moments of intense pain and suffering - such as the rejection of children, broken marriages, social inequality, and the solitude of illness. Going off-script, he shared the story of a homeless German man who died alone and uncared for in St. Peter's Square. In conclusion, the pontiff admitted his own need for Jesus's comfort.