Pope Francis makes first appearance in weeks following serious illness

The pontiff was admitted to hospital on February 14.

The Pope has been in hospital since February 14 when he was diagnosed with double pneumonia.

He addressed those that had come to the hospital before being discharged on Sunday.

From the balcony of his hospital room, the pontiff said: "Thank you to everyone."

 He then made his way home to Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican City, where he will convalesce for at least two months.

Along with being discharged from hospital, Pope Francis also relased the text for his Sunday Angelus.

He wrote: “I have had the opportunity to experience the Lord’s patience, which I also see reflected in the tireless care of the doctors and healthcare workers, as well as in the care and hopes of the relatives of the sick.

“This trusting patience, anchored in God’s unfailing love, is indeed necessary in our lives, especially when facing the most difficult and painful situations.”

The 88-year-old also expressed his distress at Israel's continued bombing of Gaza and called for an an “immediate halt to the weapons and for the courage to resume dialogue, so that all hostages may be released and a final ceasefire reached."

He urged people to pray “for an end to wars and for peace, especially in tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”