Pope Francis made a brief appearance on Easter Sunday to bless the thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square, as he continues his recovery from a near-fatal bout of double pneumonia.

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza in an Easter Sunday message read aloud by an aide as the pontiff, still recovering from pneumonia, looked on during a brief appearance on the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.

In his place, Cardinal Angelo Comastri, the retired archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, celebrated the open-air Mass before thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square on a chilly but sunny spring