Pope Francis Discharged From Hospital After Five-Week Pneumonia Treatment.
Pope Francis has been discharged from hospital after more than five weeks of treatment for pneumonia, waving to cheering crowds and expressing gratitude for their support.
The 87-year-old pontiff, appearing frail but in good spirits, sat in a wheelchair on a hospital balcony to bid farewell to well-wishers gathered below Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. This marked his first public appearance since being admitted on 14 February with breathing difficulties and a respiratory infection that developed into pneumonia.
“Thank you, everyone,” Francis said softly into a microphone, occasionally lifting his hand in greeting and giving a thumbs-up to the crowd. In a light-hearted moment, he acknowledged a woman holding yellow flowers, bringing smiles and laughter from those present.
After spending two minutes on the balcony, the pope was discharged and left by car. He waved from behind the closed window of the front seat and was seen wearing a nasal cannula to assist with oxygen delivery.
‘A Moment of Joy’
Francis’s public appearance was met with joy by pilgrims and members of the clergy.
“It just filled me, and I think many of the people here, with a great sense of joy,” said Bishop Larry James Kulick from Pennsylvania, USA. “I hope it lifted his spirits, and I think it did.”
Domenico Papisca Marra, a Catholic from Reggio Calabria, Italy, expressed his happiness at seeing the pope again. “I am really happy… I am in love with Pope Francis,” he said.
Following his discharge, the pope made his customary stop at Santa Maria Maggiore, the Rome church where he prays before and after major trips, before returning to the Vatican.
This marks the longest hospital stay of his papacy and his fourth since being elected in 2013. Doctors have indicated that Francis will require at least two months of recovery.
A Challenging Recovery Ahead
Throughout his stay, the pope faced repeated respiratory crises, requiring bronchoscopies to clear his lungs and a blood transfusion. His condition was serious enough that, on 6 March, a recording was released in which he spoke in a weak, breathless voice, thanking the faithful for their prayers.
While Francis continued some work from hospital, his medical team has emphasised that he must prioritise recovery.
“Further progress will take place at his home because a hospital—strange as it may seem—is the worst place to recover, given the risk of infections,” said Dr Sergio Alfieri, one of his doctors. “During this convalescence period, he will not be able to take on his usual daily appointments.”
Questions Over Easter Celebrations
The pope’s health concerns have raised questions over who will lead the upcoming Easter celebrations, the most sacred period in the Christian calendar. However, Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin has dismissed speculation that Francis might resign, stating firmly: “No, no, no. Absolutely not.”
Francis, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, now requires physiotherapy to regain his voice following the effects of bilateral pneumonia.
“When you suffer bilateral pneumonia, your lungs are damaged, and your respiratory muscles are strained,” Dr Alfieri explained. “It takes time for the voice to return to normal.”
As he embarks on his recovery, Pope Francis’s health remains a matter of global interest, with Catholics around the world hoping for his swift return to full strength.
