A recovering Pope Francis visits Rome prison to keep annual Holy Week appointment

His visit to a prison on Holy Thursday fuels the question that many Catholics have raised: Does Pope Francis, still breathing heavily, appear publicly at Easter? He himself keeps all possibilities open.

How Pope Francis is observing Good Friday, Holy Week as he recovers from hospital stay

Good Friday is normally a busy day for Pope Francis, but he's still recovering from a hospitalization that lasted for more than one month. It hasn't fully stopped the 88-year-old pontiff who visited a prison on Holy Thursday. CBS News' Chris Livesay has more.

Pope visits Rome prison, meets with 70 prisoners for Holy Week

ROME – Pope Francis despite technically observing a two-month period of rest after a 38 day hospitalization ventured out twice Thursday, once to greet hospital staff who cared for him, and once to greet prisoners amid Holy Week. On Holy Thursday the pope, who usually visits a prison, or a center for migrants or the disabled, to celebrate Mass of the Lord’s Supper and wash the feet of inmates, paid a private visit to Rome’s Regina Coeli prison. T…

Pope visits prisoners in Rome prison

Pope pays surprise visit to prison

Pope Francis visited the Regina Coeli prison in Rome for about half an hour on Thursday. Photo: Vatican Media via Reuters Pope Francis, still recovering from double pneumonia, has paid a surprise visit to Rome's Regina Coeli, one of Italy's most overcrowded prisons, to offer well-wishes to inmates.

The Vatican Press Office reported on Thursday that Pope Francis visited the detention center, Regina Coeli of Rome, as part of the Pascual Triduum, where he held a meeting with 70 inmates. READ ALSO: Pope Francis calls priests to “come out of clericalism” at Misa Crismal “I like to do every year what Jesus did on Holy Thursday, the washing of my feet, in prison,” Francis said. During the meeting, his holiness shared with the detainees about thei…