Pope Francis back to in-person Sunday blessing

Pope Francis said he is happy to be back greeting the faithful in St Peter’s Square (Andrew Medichini/AP)

Pope Francis has said he is happy to be back greeting the faithful in St Peter’s Square for his traditional Sunday noon blessing after weeks of lockdown measures.

Italy later this month will start gradually lifting some anti-pandemic restrictions, allowing, for example, outdoor dining at cafes and restaurants in areas of the country where the Covid-19 outbreak has been showing signs of improvement.