VATICAN CITY, March 22: Pope Francis will make his first public appearance on Sunday, more than a month after being admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, with a wave and a blessing. The 88-year-old pontiff has been battling double pneumonia in both lungs since his hospitalization on February 14, following a bout of bronchitis that made it difficult for him to speak. Since then, he has remained out of public view.

After several days of improvement, the Vatican announced on Saturday that Francis "intends to wave and offer a blessing" from the hospital after the Angelus prayers. The pope has missed the Angelus prayers for the past five consecutive weeks, marking the first time in his papacy that this has occurred. The Angelus prayers are usually recited by the pope every Sunday from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, where the faithful gather below.

This current hospitalization is the longest of Pope Francis' papacy, and it has been marked by a series of health setbacks, including respiratory crises, mild kidney failure, and a severe coughing fit that required doctors to place him on a mechanical ventilation mask.

On Friday, the Vatican reported that the pope’s condition continued to improve and that he no longer needed the ventilation mask to assist with his breathing.

Although the pope has been out of the public eye for several weeks, he recorded a message in early March, thanking people for their prayers. The message, which revealed his weakened voice, was played in St. Peter’s Square for the faithful attending the nightly recitation of the rosary. The Vatican also released a photo of the pope praying.