ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has appeared on a hospital balcony to bless the crowd in his first public outing in five weeks and ahead of his release after surviving a life-threatening bout of pneumonia. The 88-year-old pope gave a thumbs up and acknowledged the crowd after he was wheeled out onto the balcony overlooking the main entry of Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where hundreds of people had gathered on a brilliant Sunday morning. Chants of “Viva il papa!” and “Papa Francesco” erupted from the crowd.