Pope Francis greeted the crowd at the Vatican during his first public appearance since recovering from his hospital stay.

Using a wheelchair and wearing a breathing tube, the Pope made a brief appearance on a stage in St Peter’s Square on Sunday.

This marked the first time the 88-year-old pontiff had been seen in public since being released from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on March 23, where he received treatment for pneumonia.

According to doctors, he was advised to take at least two months of rest to recover fully.