Pope Francis led a religious ceremony at the Vatican yesterday, his first public appearance since concerns for his health were raised when he abruptly cancelled a visit to a Rome hospital two days ago.

The 77-year-old Pope appeared to be in good health as he presided at a two-hour-long Mass in St Peter’s Basilica on the day the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Saints Peter and Paul.

Bishops should not seek gratification by cultivating those who wield worldly power

Last Friday, the leader of the Catholic Church cancelled a visit to patients at Rome’s Gemelli hospital minutes before it started because of what the Vatican called a “sudden indisposition”.

In his homily, Pope Francis said bishops should not seek gratification by cultivating “those who wield worldly power” but to find their personal security in their vocation to help the poor.

He also gave 24 recently appointed archbishops a vestment known as a pallium which is a small circular band worn around the neck that symbolises their unity with the Pope.

After the Mass, the Pope made his traditional noon appearance to the crowds gathered in St Peter Square and appealed for dialogue for an end the conflict in Iraq.

Meanwhile, Pope Francis, whose criticisms of unbridled capitalism have prompted some to label him a Marxist, said in an interview published yesterday, that communists had stolen the flag of Christianity. The Argentine Pontiff gave an interview to Il Messaggero, Rome’s local newspaper, to mark the feast of Saints Peter and Paul which is a Roman holiday.

He was asked about a blog post in the Economist magazine that said he sounded like a Leninist when he criticised capitalism and called for radical economic reform.

“I can only say that the communists have stolen our flag.

“The flag of the poor is Christian. Poverty is at the centre of the Gospel,” he said, citing Biblical passages about the need to help the poor, the sick and the needy.

“Communists say that all this is communism. Sure, 20 centuries later.

“So when they speak, one can say to them: ‘but then you are Christian’,” he said, laughing.

Since his election in March 2013, Pope Francis has often attacked the global economic system as being insensitive to the poor and not doing enough to share wealth with those who need it most.

Earlier this month, Pope Francis also criticised the wealth made from financial speculation and refered to it as “intolerable”

He also said that speculation on commodities was a scandal that compromised the poor’s access to food.