Tired-Looking Pope Waves to Crowd From Hospital Window
Pope John Paul II, smiling but looking thin and drawn, waved from a hospital window Sunday to a cheering crowd getting its first glimpse of the pontiff since his surgery to remove a tumor two weeks ago.
“Best wishes, best wishes!” shouted a crowd of nuns, priests, nurses and others when the shutter was raised and a 10th-floor window of Gemelli Hospital was opened. The Pope poked his right hand out to wave. He held his white cap with his left hand.
About 15 seconds later, John Paul moved away from the window. His cheeks were pinched after nearly two weeks of eating little or no food following surgery on July 15 to remove a benign colon tumor.
On Saturday, the Pope’s surgeon said the 72-year-old pontiff no longer needed constant medical care but could use a few more days of rest in the hospital.
A Vatican prelate in charge of protocol, Msgr. Domenico De Luca, said the hospital staff presented John Paul with a cake decorated with the message, “Best wishes, holy father.”
Minutes before the Pope’s appearance at the hospital window, a recording of his traditional Sunday noon prayer was broadcast on Vatican Radio. The Pope, citing the besieged people in Bosnia-Herzegovina, dedicated his prayer to peace.
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