Pope Francis thrilled St Peter's Square on Easter Sunday as he greeted Catholic faithful who had gathered to see him during his pneumonia recovery.
The 88-year-old pontiff delivered his 'Urbi et Orbi' benediction from a balcony overlooking the square following mass to mark the holiday.
Images showed Francis in traditional white robes on the central lodge of St Peter's Basilica as he waved to the eager crowds.
Masses of faithful gathered Sunday under hazy skies in the sprawling plaza decorated with brightly-coloured tulips, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Jesuit pope as it had not been confirmed he would be making an appearance.
Marie Manda, 59, from Cameroon, was one of those thinking positive.
'Of course we hope to see the pope but if he's not here and he's still suffering we'll see his representative,' she told AFP. 'But we want to see the pope, even sick we want to see him!'
Indian tourist Rajesh Kumar, 40, however, said he had no idea it was Easter when he booked his holiday with his wife.
'After coming here we realised there is a festival going on, the pope is going to give a speech, so we just entered and we are ready for it,' he said.
Pope Francis stands on the main balcony of St. Peter's basilica during the Urbi et Orbi message and blessing to the city and the world as part of Easter celebrations, at St Peter's square in the Vatican on April 20, 2025
Francis wore traditional white robes on the central lodge of St Peter's Basilica as he waved to the eager crowds
Pope Francis tours St. Peter's Square on the Pope mobile, as faithful react
Masses of faithful gathered Sunday under hazy skies in the sprawling plaza
In the last week, Francis has appeared in public twice without the nasal cannula through which he has been receiving oxygen
Masses of faithful gathered Sunday under hazy skies in the sprawling plaza decorated with brightly-coloured tulips, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Jesuit pope as it had not been confirmed he would be making an appearance
Francis was released from hospital on March 23, after five weeks of treatment for pneumonia, from which he nearly died.
In February, the world held its breath as the Vatican announced the Argentine Pope - who last part of his lung as a child - was struggling to breathe and needed oxygen.
Professor Sergio Alfieri, who was on the Gemelli hospital team treating the Pontiff, told Corriere Della Sera: 'The worst was the night of February 28. He whispered: "it's bad". Those who were next to him had tears in their eyes.'
'For the first time I saw tears in the eyes of some of the people around him. People who, I understood during this period of hospitalization, sincerely love him, like a father.'
'We were all aware that the situation had worsened further and there was a risk that he wouldn't make it.'
His voice remains weak, despite improvements in his breathing.
In the last week, Francis has appeared in public twice without the nasal cannula through which he has been receiving oxygen.
He could delegate the reading of his Easter text - usually a reflection on conflicts and crises around the world - to someone else.
For the first time since becoming pope in 2013, Francis has missed the majority of Holy Week events, such as Friday's Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum and Saturday's Easter vigil at Saint Peter's Basilica, where he delegated his duties to cardinals.
The weekend was also noteworthy for the presence of US Vice President JD Vance in Rome.
He held talks on Saturday with the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See's secretary for relations with states.
That came just two months after a spat between Francis and the administration of US President Donald Trump over its anti-migrant policies.
Neither the Vatican nor the vice president's office have commented on any possible meeting between Francis and Vance, and it was unknown whether the vice president planned to attend Sunday mass.
Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the college of cardinals, presided over Saturday night's solemn Easter vigil in place of Francis.
Francis performed one official engagement this Holy Week, visiting a jail in Rome, but he did not perform the traditional foot-washing ritual, which seeks to imitate Jesus Christ's washing of his disciples' feet.
Asked by a journalist after his visit what he felt about this Easter week in his current condition, the pope replied: 'I am living it as best I can.'
This year's Easter is unusual as it falls on the same weekend in both the Catholic and Protestant branches of Christianity, which follow the Gregorian calendar, and the Orthodox branch, which uses the Julian calendar.