Rome ? A voiceless, sick Pope John Paul II missed Sunday’s Angelus prayer for the first time in his 26-year papacy, but he made a brief appearance afterward at his 10th-floor hospital window, touched his crippled throat and blessed an excited gathering below.

The glimpse of the 84-year-old pontiff, dressed in his traditional white vestments and gesturing with determination, was meant to reassure the world’s 1 billion Roman Catholics that their leader was still alive. He had not been seen in public since an emergency tracheostomy on Thursday to ease critical breathing problems.

The pope’s appearance came after an aide read on his behalf the weekly prayers that he had never missed, until Sunday. Archbishop Leonardo Sandri led the ceremony at St. Peter’s Square, several miles from the Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital where the pope is housed, and asked for support for the ailing pontiff.

A few minutes after Sandri finished the prayers, the blinds on the pope’s hospital window were suddenly opened. Then, to the surprise of the hordes of journalists below, John Paul was wheeled up to the window.

He gestured a blessing, making a sweeping sign of the cross, then waved. And then he appeared to clutch his throat, as if to explain his silence, or maybe to adjust the tube surgically inserted into his windpipe. As he was being wheeled away from the window, he again blessed the crowd.