Pope makes surprise St Peter’s Basilica visit a day after meeting King Charles
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Pope Francis meeting Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla at the Vatican on April 9.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis, who is recovering from life-threatening pneumonia, made an unscheduled visit to St Peter’s Basilica on April 10, his second surprise outing in two days after previously meeting King Charles and Queen Camilla.
The public appearance and brief impromptu meeting with the royal couple come as the 88-year-old pontiff recovers at the Vatican from a bout of pneumonia
On the afternoon of April 10, the Pope entered the sprawling basilica to admire restoration work that is wrapping up and greet some of the workers, Italian news agency ANSA said.
“There were two young restorers... one of them saw the Pope and greeted him from afar, so he told her to come closer to thank her and shake her hand,” wrote ANSA.
The young woman replied “that she was sorry that her ‘hands were cold’ but the Pope wanted to shake them anyway”, the agency reported.
On the afternoon of April 9, the Pope met King Charles and Queen Camilla privately for 20 minutes, despite Buckingham Palace having earlier cancelled a planned official audience
It was the first meeting between King Charles, the head of the Protestant Church of England, and the Pope, who leads the world’s Catholics, since the monarch ascended to the throne in 2022.
The pontiff offered his congratulations to the royal couple, who celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary on April 9, the palace and the Vatican said.
During the encounter, the King – who is receiving treatment for cancer – and the Pope also exchanged well wishes for each other’s health, the Vatican said.
“Their majesties were delighted the Pope was well enough to host them – and to have had the opportunity to share their best wishes in person,” a Buckingham Palace statement added.
King Charles, 76, has been suffering from an unnamed cancer for more than a year and, less than two weeks ago, he was briefly admitted to hospital after experiencing side effects
He was out of action for a matter of days before resuming his official engagements on April 1.
Pope Francis, who almost died twice
Despite being ordered to rest and recover for two months, the Argentine made an unexpected appearance in St Peter’s Square on April 6 at the end of a mass.
On April 8, the Vatican said that the Pope’s voice and mobility were improving, raising hopes that he may take part in upcoming Easter celebrations.
He has been using a cannula – a plastic tube tucked into the nostrils – to help him breathe, notably at night, but was not wearing one in the picture released on April 10. AFP
