The weak and frail Pope Francis returned to the Vatican from the hospital on Sunday to stop his surprise at his favorite cathedral on his way home, before surviving a five-week life-threatening match of pneumonia.
The car carrying the 88-year-old Pope entered the Vatican city at the gates of Pergino, where Francis was seen in the passenger seat to wear a nasal tube and provide supplemental oxygen.
On his way home from Gemeri Hospital, Francis took a slight detour to take him to Major St. Mary’s Basilica, who has Major Major, who has Major Major, who always goes to pray after a foreign visit. Francis did not get out of the car, but handed the cardinal a bouquet of flowers to place in front of the icon of Sarus Potpuri Romani, a Byzantine-style painting of trees respected by the Romans.
Before leaving the hospital, Francis gave a thumbs up and recognised the crowd after moving onto the balcony overlooking the main entry. Hundreds of people gathered on a wonderful Sunday morning to say goodbye.
“I see this woman having yellow flowers. Brava!” said Francis, tired and bloated. He gave him a weak sign of a cross before making any movement inside.
The chant of “Viva Il Papa!” and “Papa Francesco” erupted from the crowd. It included a patient who had moved outside just to catch his brief appearance.
Announcing the planned release at a press conference on Saturday evening, the doctor said he needs two months of rest and recovery, and should refrain from meeting large groups of people or exercising himself during that time. But they said he should be able to resume all his normal activities in the end.
His return has brought concrete relief to the Vatican and Catholic faithful who are worried about the 38-day medical ups and downs after his 12 years of hospitalization and the second-longest hospitalization in recent Pope history, and who are wondering whether Francis would make it.
“Today I am very happy,” said Dr. Rosserra Rasmando, a doctor at Salerno who had not treated Francis but was in Gemeri on Sunday. “It is a demonstration that all our prayers, all our rosary prayers from around the world, have brought this grace.”
The Pope will be happy to go home
On Vatican Sunday, pilgrims flocked to St. Peter’s Cathedral all year round to participate in the Holy Year of 2025. They flocked through the Square of St. Peter and passed through the group’s sacred door, but the large television screen in the square was turned on to broadcast Francis’ hospital greetings.
No special arrangements have been made at Domus Santa Marta, the Vatican hotel next to the cathedral where Francis lives in a two-room suite on the second floor. Francis will be able to access supplementary oxygen and 24-hour medical care when needed, but his private doctor, Dr. Luigi Carbon, said he hopes Francis will only breathe less as his lungs recover.
Pneumonia infections have been successfully treated, but Francis continues to take oral medication for quite some time to treat fungal infections in the lungs and continue with respiratory and physical therapy.
“For three or four days he’s been asking when he’s going to be able to go home, and he’s very happy,” Carbone said.
Two life-threatening crisis
The Argentine Pope, who suffers from chronic lung disease and who removed part of one of his lungs as a young man, was hospitalized at Gemeri on February 14 after his bronchitis match worsened.
The doctor first diagnosed a complex bacterial, viral, and fungal respiratory infection, and then immediately diagnosed pneumonia in both lungs. Blood tests showed signs of anemia, hypoplatelets and development of renal failure, and everything resolved after two subsequent transfusions.
The most serious retreat began on February 28th, when Francis experienced vomiting after acute coughing and inhaled, and required the use of a non-invasive mechanical ventilation mask to help him breathe. He was suffering from two more respiratory crises a few days later, and doctors had to manually inhale a “rich” amount of mucus from his lungs.
He was never intubated and never lost consciousness. The doctor says he probably lost a bit of weight given that he had lost his appetite all the time, but he reported that he remained vigilant and cooperation at all times.
“Unfortunately, there was a moment when many people said he might not make it, and that was painful for us,” said Mario Balsamo, owner of Gemeri’s former coffee shop. “Instead, I’m very pleased that he’s fine today and I hope he’ll recover soon and recover his strength.”
“I’m still alive!”
Sergio Alfieri, Gemeri’s head of medical and surgery, who coordinated Francis’ medical team, stressed that not all patients who develop such severe cases of dual pneumonia are surviving and will be far less likely to be released from hospitals. He said Francis’ life had been at risk twice between two acute respiratory crises, and the Pope of the time, naturally, lost his typical sense of humor.
“But one morning we went to listen to his lungs and asked him how he was doing.
Alfieri confirmed that Francis struggles to speak due to damage to his lungs and respiratory muscles. However, he said such problems were normal, especially in older patients, and predicted that his voice would eventually return to normal.
There are no confirmed appointments so far
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni declined to confirm upcoming events, including a scheduled audience with Charles III on April 8th and Francis, who joined the Easter service at the end of the month. However, Carbone said he hopes Francis will take part in the important ecumenical anniversary, enough to travel to Turkey at the end of May.
Francis also returned to the Vatican in the suffering of the Holy Year. This year marks the celebration of a quarter century, when more than 30 million pilgrims were scheduled to attract Rome. The Pope has already missed some Jubilee audiences and will likely miss some more, but Vatican officials say his absence has not had a major impact on the number of expected pilgrims to arrive.
When only St. John Paul II recorded a long hospitalization in 1981, he spent 55 days at Gemeli for mild surgery and treatment of infections.
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Associated Press writers Giada Zampano of Rome and Colleen Barry of Soave in Italy contributed to this report.
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