Pope to return to Vatican, prescribed to continue rest, doctors announce

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis will return to his residence in the Vatican March 23 after spending 38 days in Rome’s Gemelli hospital for treatment of double pneumonia, his doctors announced.

The pope was to be discharged “in a stable clinical condition, with a prescription to partially continue drug therapy and of a convalescence and rest period of at least two months,” said Dr. Sergio Alfieri, who is leading the medical team treating the pope, during a news conference at the hospital March 22.

He said that the double pneumonia, which the pope was diagnosed with shortly after being hospitalized Feb. 14, “is completely healed,” although he may still have other lingering bacterial and viral infections.

“Immediately, he will not be able to again take up work activities with meeting groups of people or important obligations that he will probably be able to carry out once he has finished the prescribed convalescence and expected clinical improvements are recorded,” Alfieri said.

“During his hospitalization, the clinical conditions of the Holy Father presented two very critical episodes in which the Holy Father’s life was in danger,” he said. “Pharmacological therapy, the administration of high-flow oxygen and the assisted mechanical ventilation recorded a slow but progressive improvement, bringing the Holy Father out of the most critical episodes.”

The pope was never intubated during his hospitalization and always remained alert and vigilant, Alfieri added, also stating that the pope is not diabetic and did not have COVID-19.

And as is common for elderly people with pneumonia, he said, the pope’s voice lost strength during his hospital stay.

“It will take time for the voice to return to what it was before,” Alfieri explained. “Already compared to 10 days ago, we have recorded, let’s say, important improvements.”

An audio message from the pope thanking the faithful for their prayers was played in St. Peter’s Square March 6, in which he had obvious difficulty speaking.

In terms of preparing Pope Francis’ return to the Domus Sanctae Marthae, his Vatican residence, “the Holy Father does not need very many things,” said Dr. Luigi Carbone, the pope’s personal physician.

“He needs oxygen, like all patients that are discharged with pneumonia, which we hope he can shortly remove in daily use,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the Vatican press office announced that Pope Francis intended to look out from the window of the Gemelli hospital March 23 to greet the faithful and offer a blessing after the recitation of the Angelus. It would mark the first time the pope has been physically seen by the public since his hospitalization some five weeks ago.

Regarding the possibility of the pope’s participation in Easter celebrations at the Vatican, Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, said that “based on the improvements during this convalescence period, the appropriate decisions will be made.”

Likewise, other appointments on the pope’s calendar, including a meeting with King Charles and Queen Camilla of Great Britain April 8 and a trip to Turkey in May, would depend on improvements to the pope’s condition.

Carbone said the pope was “very happy” to learn that he was being discharged; “by now it was three or four days that he was asking us when he would go back home.”