Pope Francis appears in public in a wheelchair PHOTO

Pope Francis made his first public appearance in a wheelchair.

According to TASS, this was reported on Thursday by the ANSA agency.

He previously revealed in a recent interview that he underwent minor knee surgery. According to the press service of the Holy See, he was given injections for severe pain, because of which Francis could hardly walk and was forced to abandon all ceremonies and rituals that required him to stand.

The 85-year-old pontiff underwent intestinal surgery last summer, after which he recovered for more than a week. The press service then distributed photos in which Francis was in a wheelchair, but in the hospital walls while visiting patients from the department.