Despite the fact that the Vatican had said the pope was still convalescing from his Feb 24 tracheotomy and would not hold his normal Wednesday general audience, Pope John Paul came to his window last Wednesday, March 16, and blessed hundreds of people waiting for him in the square under his apartment window.

The window of his apartment overlooking St Peter's Square opened, the pope appeared, blessed the crowd, waved and blessed them again.

However, the pope, who still has the tracheotomy tube in his throat, did not speak to the crowd.

The Vatican had said March 15 that the pope would not hold his general audience and that there would be no alternative form of the weekly gathering, which usually revolves around a papal reflection on Scripture, Church teaching or religious observances and holy days.

Mercy Sister Anthony Mary, who coordinates ticket requests and helps pilgrims, said: “They are all very disappointed. But most are going to St Peter's Square anyway to see if the Holy Father will come out.”

During Pope John Paul's 18-day stay in the hospital, no Wednesday audiences were held, but the pope did appear briefly at his hospital window March 9 to greet groups that decided to serenade him and pray for him on the normal audience day.

The last full general audience with Pope John Paul in the Vatican 's audience hall was Jan 26.

The Feb 2 and 9 audiences were cancelled while the pope was in Rome's Gemelli hospital undergoing treatment for breathing difficulties related to the flu.

The pope was released from the hospital Feb 10, but no audience had been scheduled for Feb 16, since the date fell during the week of the annual Lenten retreat for the pope and his top aides.

Seated in the papal library and using a closed-circuit television hookup, Pope John Paul greeted visitors gathered for his Feb 23 audience.

The pope made brief remarks in Italian about the Lenten season, then Vatican aides introduced the pilgrim groups present.

After the introductions, the pope offered the groups his greetings in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Polish.

Pope John Paul returned to Gemelli hospital Feb 24 and underwent a tracheotomy to ease his continued breathing difficulties.

Pope John Paul II's annual Holy Thursday letter to priests was expected to be released Friday 18, during a Vatican press conference.

(CNS)