Thousands attend Pope's first papal audience in St Peter's Square since coronavirus outbreak
Thousands of pilgrims from around the world gathered at the Vatican Wednesday as Pope Francis held his first weekly audience in St Peter’s Square since coronavirus hit in early 2020.
The 85-year-old was met with cries of ‘Long live the pope’ as he arrived in his white popemobile into the square still decorated with 40,000 flowers laid out for last weekend’s Easter celebrations.
The Pope was photographed shaking hands with the crowd as visitors gathered in their largest numbers in Vatican City since the pandemic.
Now restrictions are lifted, thousands of adoring Christians are able to show their appreciation for the Pope, with many traveling across Europe and the rest of the world in order to attend the general audience.
‘Even if we are Orthodox, we wanted to come: God is the same for all of us, no matter what branch you are,’ said Dan Stella, on holiday from Romania.
Some of the crowd waved flags from Croatia, Portugal, Spain, France – and Ukraine, a country for which the pope has repeatedly prayed since the Russian invasion nearly two months ago.
Thousands of pilgrims gathered at the Vatican on Wednesday for Pope Francis’ first weekly audience in more than two years
Pope Francis shook hands with his audience for the first time since social distancing measures were lifted in Vatican city
Pope Francis is escorted by his bodyguards as he arrives in the popemobile car to St Peter’s Square on April 20
One audience member from France said she was surprised by the amount of young people at Saint Peter’s square at the Vatican, saying: ‘It shows there is a future, a flame burning in them’
Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican, pictured with thousands of tourists, is still decorated with 40,000 flowers laid out for last weekend’s Easter celebrations
Francis initially delivered his audiences via video link from the Apostolic Library, before holding them in the San Damaso Courtyard in the Vatican
The pope’s weekly audience has not been held in the vast St Peter’s Square since February 2020, when coronavirus hit
On Wednesday, the pontiff thanked Poland for taking in the bulk of the estimated five million Ukrainians who have fled in Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II.
‘May God reward you for your goodness,’ he said.
The pope’s weekly audience traditionally draws thousands of people but has not been held in the vast St Peter’s Square since February 2020, when coronavirus hit.
Francis initially delivered his audiences via video link from the Apostolic Library, before holding them in the San Damaso Courtyard in the Vatican, where numbers could be limited.
On Wednesday, the Argentine pontiff smiled and laughed as he blessed pilgrims, although he appeared to be suffering again from the knee pain that has limited his activities in recent months.
Odile Lafarge came from France with her grandson to see him, telling AFP: ‘He always has a message of peace and reconciliation. Our world really needs that.
‘What struck me when we arrived is how many young people there are here…. it shows there is a future, a flame burning in them.’
The Pontifical Swiss Guard stand in front of the crowd on Wednesday, surrounding the Vatican and ensuring the Pope’s safety
Audiences wave the French flag, advertising their country of departure, while others waved flags from Croatia, Portugal, Spain, France and Ukraine
The pope saluted attendees when he arrived. Ukraine is one country for which the pope has repeatedly prayed since the Russian invasion nearly two months ago
After shaking hands with the audience for the first time since social distancing measures were lifted in Vatican city, the Pope broadcasted his voice from the podium to the audience of thousands filling up St Peter’s Square.
The Pontifical Swiss Guard stood in front of the crowd on Wednesday, surrounding the Vatican and ensuring the Pope’s safety.
Pope Francis smiled and opened his arms wide in an embrace at the end of the general audience.
Following months without visitors, the historic collection at the Vatican Museums – housing one of the largest art collections in the world – reopened to the public in February, abandoning social distancing measures.
Vatican City is one of the few countries in the world not to have reported any deaths during the pandemic, with a total of 29 cases according to Our World in Data.
Two of Pope Francis’ top advisors tested positive for Covid-19, but the Pontiff himself so far remains free of the illness.
Proof of vaccination is still required in order to enter any of the offices of Vatican city-state, for both visitors and employees.
Pope Francis’ bodyguards escorted him as he arrived in the popemobile car on April 20 for the general audience.
The Pope sat close to his audience after shaking hands. Knee pain that has limited his activities in recent months
The Pope broadcasted his voice from the podium to the audience of thousands filling up St Peter’s Square
The pontiff thanked Poland for taking in the bulk of the estimated five million Ukrainians who have fled in Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II
Pope Francis smiled and opened his arms wide in an embrace at the end of the general audience
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