Pope Francis is no longer in the hospital.
Last Sunday, March 23, the 88-year-old pope made his first public appearance after spending 38 days at Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital. Before being brought back to the Vatican, he spoke to the assembled throng from the hospital’s balcony, according to BBC News.
Francis will need at least two months of rest, rehabilitation, and convalescence, according to Dr. Sergio Alfieri, who oversaw his medical staff. He was also told not to attend group meetings, according to the AP.
The Vatican revealed in a press release on February 14 that he was first hospitalized for bronchitis and “diagnostic tests.” The pope contracted double pneumonia while at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital in Rome, and during the course of the next several weeks, his health deteriorated, though the Vatican claimed some minor improvements on a few days.
On Thursday, March 6, a tape of the pope thanking people for their prayers was made public. The Vatican said it was filmed from the hospital but provided little more information.
“From [St. Peter’s] Square, I sincerely appreciate your prayers for my well-being. He recorded a message in Francis’ native Spanish, saying, “I accompany you from here.” “May the Virgin protect you and may God bless you. Thank you.
Francis celebrated the 12th anniversary of his pontificate on Thursday, March 13, despite the fact that he was still in the hospital at the time.
The Vatican claims that a cake with candles was sent to his chamber that afternoon as a way to celebrate.
The Vatican said on February 27, over two weeks after the pope’s admission, that he “slept well” and that his health seemed to be getting better. He was still receiving high-flow oxygen treatment, but authorities said that he did not exhibit any symptoms of asthma.
The Vatican said that the pope’s “mild kidney insufficiency” had improved the day before the update.
Despite his improving health, Vatican authorities cautioned that his clinical status was still “complex.”
Francis had been receiving treatment for double pneumonia in the days before and was still in “critical” but stable condition.
Eight days before to his hospitalization, on February 6, the pope was diagnosed with bronchitis.
In a statement, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni noted that Francis had previously been hospitalized for bronchitis in March 2023 and that the Pope had “complained of some respiratory difficulties.”
The pope was previously admitted to the hospital earlier that year due to “recurring” problems from an abdominal hernia, which was treated surgically.
