Pope Francis has been discharged from Gemelli Hospital in Rome after a five-week stay due to pneumonia and other health complications.
The 88-year-old pontiff appeared at his hospital window on Saturday, offering a blessing before leaving for the Vatican.
Doctors revealed that the Pope experienced two critical episodes that put his life in danger but confirmed he was never intubated and remained alert throughout.
Dr. Sergio Alfieri, one of his attending physicians, stated that while the Pope is not yet fully recovered, his condition is now stable. “Patients with double pneumonia lose their voice slightly, and especially in the elderly, it will take time for his voice to return to normal,” he explained.
Cardinal Victor Fernandez had earlier noted that the high-flow oxygen treatment had dried out the Pope’s throat, requiring him to “relearn how to speak.”
During his hospitalization, the Pope was seen publicly only once in a Vatican-released photograph of him praying in a hospital chapel. Earlier this month, an audio recording of him speaking in Spanish was played in St. Peter’s Square, where he thanked the faithful for their prayers.
Doctors have advised Pope Francis to rest for at least two months at the Vatican. If his recovery continues as expected, he could soon resume his duties as leader of the Roman Catholic Church, a position he has held for 12 years.
