Pope Francis will be released from the hospital on Sunday – five weeks after being admitted for treatment for double pneumonia, the pontiff of doctors announced. He will return to the Vatican, but the doctors said he would need at least two months of rest and rehabilitation after leaving the Gemelli Hospital in Rome.
The 88 -year -old pontiff fought against double pneumonia in both lungs after being Hospital admitted February 14 after a bronchitis that made him difficult for him to speak. He has remained out of the public since then.
His doctors organized a briefing in person on Saturday evening, the first in about a month.
“The good news is that the Pope will be released tomorrow,” said Gemelli’s medical director, Dr. Sergio Alfieri. “During his hospitalization, he presented two critical episodes during which the life of the Holy Father was in danger. He subsequently made slow but progressive improvements.”
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Alfieri said that Francis will be released in a stable state and will continue medication “for a long time and will observe at least two months of rest.”
Dr. Luigi Carbon, the Pope’s personal doctor, said the discharge is a “convalescent period”.
“At the Vatican, we have prepared the necessary assistance and we are ready to bring him back to Santa Marta,” he said, adding: “We hope that in the brief period, he will be able to return to his normal activity.”
Carbon said the Pope was very happy to go home.
Earlier on Saturday, the The Vatican said That Francis will make his first public appearance in five weeks and “intends to signal and offer the blessing” of the hospital after the prayers of Angelus.
The Pope missed Angelus prayers for five consecutive weeks for the first time in his papacy. Angelus prayers are normally recited by the Pope every Sunday of a window overlooking the Place Saint-Pierre to the gathered faithful.
Current hospitalization is the longest of Francis’s papacy. It was marked by a roller coaster, especially respiratory crises,, Light renal failureAnd a severe cough adjustment, which forced doctors to put Francis on a mechanical ventilation mask. At no time did he lose consciousness and the doctors said he was alert and cooperative.
The Argentinian Pope is subject to respiratory diseases in winter. He had a part of a lung withdrawn as a young man.
Although outside the public for weeks, the Pope shared a recorded message At the beginning of March, thanking people for their prayers for their recovery. The message – which highlighted the weak and laborious voice of Francis – was played on Place Saint -Pierre for the faithful gathered for a night recitation of the prayer of the rosary. The Vatican too published a photo of the pope to prayer.
During his stay in hospital, the church celebrated the 12th birthday of Francis’ papacy with a mass in his honor.
Pope Francis was categorical about sharing an unprecedented level of detail with regard to his health, going against centuries of secret surrounding the medical conditions of pontiffs.
