Overview

• Pope Francis made his first public appearance since his bronchitis diagnosis two weeks ago, which had forced him to cancel his trip to the COP28 climate conference in Dubai.
• The Pope has been steadily recovering and kept a traditional appointment to pray at the Spanish Steps on the Dec. 8 holiday devoted to Mary.
• During his public appearance, he prayed for 'all the people oppressed by injustice and poverty, tried by war,' and added a special prayer for 'the tormented Ukrainian people,' as well as Palestinians and Israelis 'who have fallen back into a spiral of violence.'
• Francis also addressed violence against women, a topic that has resonated in Italy following the recent killing of a 22-year-old female student.
• This is the second time this year that the Pope has had a serious case of bronchitis; he was hospitalized for three days in the spring to receive intravenous antibiotics.