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Pope Francis makes first public appearance in 5 weeks before leaving hospital

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Doctor says the pope's ageing body still needs 'a lot of time' to recover fully

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Pope Francis waves during his first public appearance in five weeks, on the day he is set to be discharged from Gemelli Hospital, in Rome, March 23. © Reuters

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -- Pope Francis made his first public appearance in more than five weeks on Sunday, waving from a balcony at Rome's Gemelli hospital before leaving the facility.

Francis, 88, went to hospital on Feb. 14 with a severe respiratory infection that became the most serious health crisis of his 12-year papacy.

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