Pope Francis speaks out against war in Sudan and encourages observing Lent as a period for healing.

Pope Francis publicly acknowledged that this Lenten season is a time of healing for his soul and body.

Over the weekend, the Vatican published the content of the Sunday Angelus prayer that Francis had prepared. It marks the seventh consecutive Sunday where his health condition has prevented him from delivering the traditional blessing from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.

Francis encouraged everyone to view Lent as a period of healing, especially since it coincides with the Jubilee. The Pope shared that he, too, was personally embracing this perspective, both in his spirit and physical well-being.

Expressing his gratitude, Francis acknowledged individuals who emulate Jesus by serving as agents of healing for others through their words, wisdom, kindness, and prayers. He highlighted the shared human experiences of vulnerability and sickness, emphasizing the solidarity among individuals as recipients of the salvation offered by Christ.

Faithful and pilgrims gather in St. Peter’s Square at The Vatican to follow on giant screens a live broadcast from Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, on Sunday, March 23, 2025, where Pope Francis made his first public appearance since he was hospitalized on Feb. 14 with bilateral pneumonia.  (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

The 88-year-old pontiff is still recovering from a respiratory infection, according to the Holy See Press Office. He continues to be weaned off oxygen support during the day and night, and his blood levels are normal. However, his medical team has ordered a strict convalescence period of at least two months following his hospital release last week. 

Francis has shown “a truly surprising improvement,” the doctor who coordinated the pontiff’s five-week hospitalization said Saturday.

Surgeon Sergio Alfieri speaks to journalists on Saturday, March 22, 2025, in the entrance hall of Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, where Pope Francis has been treated for bilateral pneumonia since Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

“I find him very lively,” Dr. Sergio Alfieri said, after visiting the pope at his apartment in the Santa Marta Domus on Wednesday, three days after his release from Rome’s Gemelli hospital. “I believe that he will return if not to 100%, 90% of where he was before.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.