He waited until the usual midday mass was over to go down to the basilica. Today too the Pope, still convalescing after almost forty days of hospitalization at the Gemelli Polyclinic, made one of his surprises.

He wanted to go and see for himself the fruit of the latest restoration work in St. Peter's Basilica. From what we understand, he did not notify anyone because his goal was only to see the latest improvements to the basilica which is preparing, like all churches in the world, to welcome the rites of Holy Week. He greeted the restorers, mostly women, who were making the final adjustments before the presentation, tomorrow, of the end of the restoration to the international press. Then he went to pray at the tomb of St. Pius X to whom Pope Francis is very devoted.

The Pope was not wearing the white suit with the skullcap but a white long-sleeved T-shirt, black pants and a striped plaid over it. He had oxygen nosepieces. In a video, while the nurse Massimiliano Strappetti pushes the wheelchair, you can see him meeting a child. He asks his name and the little one then greets him "Hi Papa", "Ciao Papa". Yesterday another unscheduled event: the meeting at Santa Marta with Carlo and Camilla. Just twenty minutes, in the afternoon, but very cordial and in the photo released today he appears smiling, as do the English royals, and in this case without the oxygen nosepieces. Everything suggests that Pope Francis is preparing for the Easter rites which he does not seem to want to participate in, only in front of a TV screen, closed in his room.

(Online Union)