The Argentinian pope is entering his fourth week of convalescence during which doctors have advised him to avoid crowds.

On Saturday, the eve of Holy Week, Francis went to the St. Mary Major Basilica in central Rome to pray privately before a favorite icon of the Virgin Mary, Salus Populi Romani. The basilica, which he typically visits before and after his foreign trips, was also his first stop after leaving the Gemelli hospital on March 23.

Pope Francis made a brief appearance in St. Peter's Square on Sunday at the end of a Palm Sunday service, greeting the crowds from his wheelchair as he continues to recover from double pneumonia. "Happy Palm Sunday,