The crowd erupted when the Pontiff, 88, appeared on his wheelchair, looking out over the square awash with daffodils and tulips. "Dear brothers and sisters, happy Easter," he said, waving and giving his blessing. In the days leading up to Easter, the Vatican had not confirmed whether the pope would be able to attend the mass, saying that it would be dependent on his health, underscoring Francis’ continued fragility and the urgency with which many Catholic faithful hoped to see him in his waning years.

Pope Francis emerged from his convalescence on Easter Sunday to bless the thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square and treat them to a surprise popemobile romp through the piazza, drawing wild cheers and applause as he continues his recovery from a near-fatal bout of double pneumonia.

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.