Two art restorers were putting the final touches on a months-long restoration of the tomb of Pope Urban VIII, who in 1626 consecrated St. Peter’s Basilica, when the convalescing Pope Francis appeared, unannounced, in a wheelchair — his third such surprise appearance in less than a week.
Francis thrilled the crowd at St. Peter’s during a Jubilee Mass for the ill on Sunday, met privately with King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Wednesday, before the impromptu turn through St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday.
