Pope Francis returned to St. Peter’s Square on Sunday after more than a week of rest following an abdominal surgery earlier this month, thanking a crowd of roughly 15,000 for their “affection, attention, and friendship.” “This human and spiritual closeness for me was a great help and comfort,″ Francis told the crowd, according to the Associated Press. ”Thanks to all, thanks to you, thanks from the heart.” Francis, 86, had missed the June 11 sermon following the procedure, which also removed scarring around his intestines. During Sunday’s speech, he spoke of various tragedies in Greece, Uganda, and Ukraine, urging the congregation to consider them in their prayers.
