After more than 5 weeks Pope Francis is discharged from the clinic

After more than five weeks, the Pope can leave the hospital this Sunday. Francis will then continue to receive medical care at his residence in the Vatican.

Pope Francis is allowed to return home after more than five weeks of inpatient treatment in hospital. The 88-year-old head of the Catholic Church, who has been in the Gemelli Clinic in Rome since mid-February due to pneumonia, will be discharged this Sunday. This was announced by the doctors treating him in the evening. Francis will then continue to receive medical care at his residence in the Vatican.

The surprising news was announced by doctors Sergio Alfieri and Luigi Carbone at a media conference held at the university hospital at short notice. It had previously become known that the head of more than 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide wanted to appear in public again for the first time. To this end, Francis intends to give his blessing after the traditional Sunday prayers from the clinic.

Pope to rest for another two months

Francis is being treated in hospital for pneumonia, which has affected both lungs. He had also contracted various pathogens in his respiratory tract. In the meantime, there were great concerns about the 88-year-old - especially when his kidneys stopped functioning fully at times and he also had several severe bouts of breathlessness. Since he was admitted, the Vatican has only published a single photo of him. It only shows him from behind.

According to the doctors, Francis is expected to rest for another two months. In his residence, the Casa Santa Marta, he will continue to be supplied with additional oxygen via a tube in his nose. Respiratory and exercise therapy will also continue. In the meantime, the Pope has also received mechanical breathing assistance via a mask on his mouth and nose. However, according to the doctors, he was never given artificial respiration, for example by intubation.

Blessing still from the clinic

Previously, the Vatican surprisingly announced that the Pope would make his first public appearance from the hospital on Sunday. For the traditional Angelus prayer, Francis will appear at a window of the clinic for a greeting and blessing from the public. The spokesman for the Holy See, Matteo Bruni, explained that this would remain the case. Only then will the Pope leave the clinic and return to the Vatican.

As in previous weeks, Francis will not lead the Angelus prayer itself. The Pope normally holds the Angelus prayer on Sundays at midday in St. Peter's Square in front of tens of thousands of faithful. However, since his admission on February 14, Francis has no longer been able to do so. The Sunday prayer has since been published in writing.

What happens after his release?

According to the influential Cardinal Victor Fernandez, a new phase of his pontificate will begin after his dismissal. The pontiff is a "man of surprises", said Fernandez at a book launch. Fernandez is head of the powerful religious authority and is considered a confidant of the Pope. When asked whether a resignation could be one of these surprises, Fernandez said: "I don't really think so, not at all."

At the age of 88, the Argentinian-born Pope is now the second oldest Pope in history. Francis has been in office for twelve years as the successor to German Pope Benedict XVI. It is still uncertain whether he will be able to take part in the great Easter celebrations next month. A particularly large number of pilgrims are in Rome this year because 2025 is a Holy Year according to Catholic understanding.