Pope Francis Has Finally Left The Hospital After Five Weeks Of Being Treated For Double Pneumonia
The 88-year-old pontiff made his first public appearance, greeting hundreds of supporters from the balcony of Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he had been receiving treatment since Feb. 14.
Pope Francis was finally discharged from the hospital on Sunday, March 23, after he was hospitalized for five weeks for double pneumonia.
The 88-year-old pontiff made his first public appearance, greeting hundreds of supporters from the balcony of Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he had been receiving treatment since Feb. 14.
He gave a thumbs up, blessed the crowd and thanked a woman holding yellow flowers.
“Thank you all, and I see this lady with the yellow flowers, she is good,” Francis said.
On Feb. 14, Francis was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital, where doctors first treated him for bronchitis.
He was later diagnosed with double pneumonia, for which he had been receiving treatment since.
Throughout his hospitalization, he also experienced “mild” kidney failure, as well as several acute respiratory failures.
Despite being in the hospital, the Pope still made his daily phone calls to Gaza's only Catholic parish, as he had done every evening since Oct. 9, 2023, two days after Israel began its genocide in Gaza, the Vatican News reported.
On Thursday, March 13, he celebrated the 12th anniversary of his election as pope from the hospital.
In a sign that he intended to continue as pope, Francis approved on Saturday a new three-year process to consider reforms for the global Catholic Church, according to the Vatican.
Following his discharge, he returned to the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta residence to continue his recovery, which is expected to last at least two months.
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