Pope Francis will be discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Sunday after a five-week stay following a severe respiratory infection, doctors have confirmed.
The 88-year-old pontiff, who was admitted on 14 February, had been diagnosed with double pneumonia and experienced two critical episodes that posed a serious threat to his life. “Two very critical episodes” occurred where his “life was in danger”, according to Dr Sergio Alfieri, one of the physicians overseeing his care.
Despite the severity of his illness, Dr Alfieri stated that the Pope was never intubated and remained alert throughout his treatment. Although he is not fully recovered, the Pope is now in a stable condition and no longer has pneumonia. “Today we are happy to say that tomorrow he will be at home,” Dr Alfieri told reporters on Saturday.
Before returning to the Vatican, Pope Francis is expected to make a brief public appearance from his window at the Gemelli hospital on Sunday, offering a blessing to the faithful in what would be his first public appearance since hospitalisation.
Doctors have said he will require at least two months of rest at the Vatican before resuming full duties. They also noted that double pneumonia has affected his vocal cords, and it may take time for his voice to return to its normal strength. Cardinal Victor Fernandez had earlier explained that “high-flow oxygen dries everything out” and that the Pope “needs to relearn how to speak”, according to Reuters.
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The Vatican confirmed on Friday that the Pope’s breathing and mobility had improved. He no longer relies on mechanical ventilation at night, receiving oxygen instead through a nasal tube, and uses less high-flow oxygen during the day.
Since his hospital admission, the Pope has only been seen once in public—in a photograph shared by the Vatican last week, showing him praying in a hospital chapel.
Earlier this month, an audio recording of him speaking in his native Spanish was played in St Peter’s Square, in which his voice was breathless as he thanked the Catholic faithful for their prayers.
Pope Francis, who has led the Roman Catholic Church for nearly 12 years, has faced several health challenges throughout his life, including the removal of part of a lung at age 21, which has made him more susceptible to respiratory infections.
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