Pope appears in better health, praises Israeli and Arab fathers who both lost daughters in conflict

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis appears in better health, walking into the Vatican audience hall on his own with a cane for his weekly audience and delivering his prepared text with a clear voice. The pope’s appearance on Wednesday was the first since Palm Sunday mass in St. Peter’s Square, when he decided at the last minute to skip his homily, avoiding the speech at the start of a busy Holy Week that will test his increasingly fragile health. In recent weeks, the 87-year-old Pontiff has often shown difficulties in walking and has been heard breathing heavily during public events. The Holy Week schedule is challenging for popes even under the best of circumstances.