Pope Benedict XVI made his first public appearance since having the cast removed from his broken right wrist, joking Sunday that his hand was "freed," but still a bit sluggish.
The pontiff clearly favored his left hand while blessing the faithful gathered in the courtyard of the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo for his traditional noon blessing, but he was able to bless the crowd with his right hand. The wrist remained covered with a white bandage.
"As you can see, my hand is freed from the cast, but it's still a bit lazy," Benedict said to applause. "I still have to stay in patience school, but we'll carry on."
The 82-year-old pontiff broke his wrist during a late-night fall while on vacation in the papal Alpine chalet in Les Combes, in northern Italy, on July 17. The cast was removed Friday and doctors said it was healing well.