Italy Pope discharged from hospital after five weeks
After more than five weeks, Pope Francis has left hospital. The 88-year-old head of the Catholic Church was brought back to the Vatican from the Gemelli University Hospital in Rome in a motorcade in a small car. He had previously appeared in public again for the first time on a balcony of the clinic. In a wheelchair and with a weak voice, he thanked people from all over the world for their support. Several thousand people cheered him from below.
23.03.2025, 13:03
SDA
According to his doctors, Francis has now overcome his severe pneumonia. The head of more than 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide will now spend the next few weeks in his residence Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican, where he will continue to receive medical treatment. The doctors were satisfied with the progress made. However, during his appearance on the balcony, which lasted less than a minute, the Pope still appeared very weak.
Pope should avoid crowds
The doctors recommend at least two more months of rest. Francis should also avoid crowds because of his compromised respiratory system. It is uncertain whether he will be able to take part in the Easter celebrations next month. At the age of 88, Francis is now the second oldest pontiff in history. He has been in office since March 2013 as the successor to German Pope Benedict XVI.
On his way from the hospital to the Vatican, Francis made a stopover at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, his favorite church in Rome. The Argentinian has already decreed that he also wants to be buried there.
First problems even before Christmas
Francis had been struggling with bronchitis since before Christmas. Although he had resisted it for weeks, he finally had to go to Gemelli Hospital, the clinic for popes in the west of Rome, on February 14.
In the meantime, there were great concerns about him. The attending physician Sergio Alfieri reported on Saturday evening that the Pope's life had been in acute danger twice during his 38 days in hospital.
Repeated breathing assistance - even with a tube
Francis was suffering from severe pneumonia that had affected both lungs. He was also suffering from an infection of the respiratory tract with various pathogens. In the meantime, his kidneys were no longer functioning properly. He also had several severe bouts of breathlessness, which is why he was mechanically ventilated for a long time using a mask on his mouth and nose. However, according to the doctors, he was never artificially ventilated - for example by intubation.
Even in his residence in the Vatican, the Pope continues to be supplied with oxygen via a tube in his nose. Respiratory and exercise therapy is also continuing.
Since his admission, the Vatican has only published a single photo of the Pope - and only from behind, in front of an altar in the chapel on the tenth floor of the clinic. Francis also made himself heard in an audio message, but it was difficult to understand.
Meeting with King Charles III on the agenda in April
The surprise at the news of his imminent release from the clinic was correspondingly great on Saturday. The doctors explained that Francis himself had been hoping for a speedy return to the Vatican for several days. Alfieri added that his health was improving very quickly. If this trend continues, an earlier end to the period of rest is also possible.
A meeting with the British King Charles III is planned for the beginning of April. A trip to Turkey is also on the agenda for May, although it has never been officially announced.
It is also still uncertain whether the Pope will be able to give the Urbi et Orbi (To the City and the World) blessing at Easter. Normally, Easter is a marathon of events for the pontiff. This year, a particularly large number of pilgrims are in Rome because 2025 is a Holy Year according to Catholic understanding.
