Pope acknowledges presence of children praying for him outside hospital

Nuns light candles for Pope Francis in front of the hospital in Rome where he is being treated. Picture: Andrew Medichini/AP

Dozens of children carrying yellow and white balloons gathered outside Rome’s Gemelli hospital to greet Pope Francis on his fifth Sunday in hospital with double pneumonia.

While the pope did not appear from the 10th-floor set of windows, he acknowledged their presence in the traditional Sunday blessing.