Pope skips Sunday blessing, recovering normally from surgery

FILE PHOTO: A general view of the Gemelli Hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalised for surgery on his abdomen, in Rome, Italy, June 10, 2023. REUTERS/Remo Casilli

ROME (Reuters) -Pope Francis did not deliver his Sunday blessing in public but his recovery from surgery was progressing normally and he has begun physical therapy to help his breathing, the Vatican said.

As previously announced, the 86-year-old pope did not say his Sunday traditional noon Angelus prayer in public and watched Mass on television, the statement said.