Pope all smiles at first public audience in six months, prays for Lebanon

Pope Francis held his first weekly general audience in public in six months on Wednesday, smiling and chatting with some of the crowd as they pressed forward to greet him.

The audience, at which the pope announced a day of prayer and fasting for Lebanon, was held in the San Damaso courtyard of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace.

Nearly everyone among the audience of 500 or so wore masks and sat in seats arranged to ensure social distancing.

"After so many months, we resume our encounters face to face and not screen to screen, face to face, and this is beautiful," he said to applause at the start of the audience.

The pope last held an audience with a public crowd in early March.

At: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pope-all-smiles-at-first-public-audience-in-six-months-prays-for-lebanon/ar-BB18CI2y

Pope Francis prays for Lebanon during today's public audience at the Vatican's San Damaso courtyard - the first in six months.