Palm Sunday: Rebounding Pope Francis presides leads Mass in Vatican Square

Pope Francis waves to the faithful during the Palm Sunday Mass at St. Peters Square on April 2, 2023 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Photo by Antonio Masiello/Getty Images) VATICAN CITY - Bundled in a long, white coat and battling a hoarse voice, Pope Francis presided over Mass in St.

Peter's Square before tens of thousands of faithful on Palm Sunday, a day after he left a Rome hospital where he was treated for bronchitis.The sun broke through the clouds during the Mass, one of the longest services on the Church's calendar, as Francis, red vestments placed over his coat, sat in a chair under a canopy erected in the square.He took his place there after standing and clutching a braided palm branch in a popemobile that drove at the tail end of a long, solemn procession of cardinals, other prelates and rank-and-file Catholics.

Participants carried palm fronds or olive tree branches.READ MORE: Notre Dame Cathedral set to reopen in December 2024, Paris officials sayFrancis, 86, received antibiotics administered intravenously during his three-day stay.

He last previous appearance in St. Peter's Square saw him conduct his regular Wednesday public audience. He was taken to Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic that same day after feeling ill.Pope Francis showed a "marked improvement" Thursday after being given intravenous antibiotics for a bronchitis infection and could be released from the hospital in the coming days, the Vatican and his doctors reported.His voice sounded strong as he opened the Mass, but quickly turned strained.