Pope Francis has greeted crowds from his hospital window in Rome and given a blessing as he continues to recover from double pneumonia.
He appeared on Sunday morning to bless faithful from his 10th floor suite at the hospital. It is the first time Francis has been seen live since he was admitted for what has become the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy, although the pope did release an audio message on March 6 and the Vatican distributed a photo of him March 16.
Loking fragile, the pontiff beckoned for a microphone and told the crowd: “Thankyou, thank you – I see this lady with yellow flowers, very good, thank you.”
The pope was then seen in the passenger seat of a Fiat as he was driven away having been discharged from the hospital on Sunday. He has spent 38 days battling a severe case of pneumonia in both lungs that threatened his life on two occasions and raised the prospect — for now put to rest — of a papal resignation or funeral.
Francis has not led the Angelus prayer for the past six Sundays, but has still offered a reflection every week. Speaking to the crowd in today’s Angelus message he said: “During this long period of hospitalization, I have had the opportunity to experience the patience of the Lord, which I also see reflected in the tireless care of doctors and health workers, as well as in the care and hopes of the relatives of the sick.”
He continued: “This trusting patience, anchored in the love of God that does not fail, is truly necessary in our life, especially to face the most difficult and painful situations.”
The 88-year-old pontiff will require at least two months of rest, rehabilitation and convalescence back at the Vatican during which time he has been discouraged from meeting in big groups or exerting himself, said Dr Sergio Alfieri, who coordinated Francis’ medical team at Rome’s Gemelli hospital.
But Francis’ personal doctor, Dr Luigi Carbone, said if he continues his steady improvements and rehabilitation, he should eventually be able to resume all his normal activities.
The doctors spoke at a hastily called press conference Saturday evening in the Gemelli hospital atrium, their first in-person update on the pontiff’s condition in a month. They said they were discharging Francis after he registered two weeks of stability and increasing progress in his recovery.
“The Holy Father would have wanted to go home a few days ago, as even he realized he was improving, breathing better, and that he could work longer. But I have to say he was an exemplary patient,” Dr Alfieri said. “He listened to the suggestions from me, Dr Carbone and the rest of the team.”
The doctors confirmed he would be discharged today, after first offering a blessing to the faithful from his hospital suite, the first time he will have been seen by the public since he was admitted February 14. Doctors provided details on the severity of the infection, which he is still being treated for, and Dr Alfieri noted that not all patients who develop such a severe case of double pneumonia survive, much less be released from the hospital.
“When he was in really bad shape, it was difficult that he was in good spirits,” Dr Alfieri said. “But one morning we went to listen to his lungs and we asked him how he was doing. When he replied, ‘I’m still alive’ we knew he was OK and had gotten his good humour back.”
Alfieri confirmed that Francis was still having trouble speaking due to the damage to his lungs and the time he spent on supplemental oxygen and ventilation. But he said such problems were normal and predicted his voice would return.
“When you have a bilateral pneumonia, your lungs get damaged and the respiratory muscles are in difficulty. You lose your voice a bit, like when you speak too high,” Dr Alfieri said. “As for all patients, young or old but especially older ones, you need time for it to come back as it was.”
The Argentine pope, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli after a bout of bronchitis worsened.
Doctors first diagnosed a complex bacterial, viral and fungal respiratory tract infection and soon thereafter, pneumonia in both lungs. Blood tests showed signs of anemia, low blood platelets and the onset of kidney failure, all of which later resolved after two blood transfusions.
The most serious setbacks began on Febuary 28, when Francis experienced an acute coughing fit and inhaled vomit, requiring he use a noninvasive mechanical ventilation mask to help him breathe. He suffered two more respiratory crises a few days later, which required doctors manually aspirate “copious” amounts of mucus, at which point he began sleeping with the ventilation mask at night to help his lungs clear the accumulation of fluids.
At no point did he lose consciousness, and doctors reported he always remained alert and cooperative. Over the past two weeks, he has stabilized and registered slight improvements.
He no longer needs to wear the ventilation mask at night, and is cutting back his reliance on high flows of supplemental oxygen during the day. Doctors said the pope, who uses a wheelchair, had probably lost some weight during his hospital stay.
At his home in the Santa Marta hotel, next to St Peter’s Basilica, Francis will have access to supplemental oxygen and 24-hour medical care as needed, though Dr Carbone said he hoped Francis would progressively need less and less supplemental oxygen.
“The Holy Father is improving, and we hope soon he can resume his normal activity,” Dr Carbone said. While the pneumonia infection has been successfully treated, Francis will continue to take oral medication for several months to treat the fungal infection in his lungs.
Dr Alfieri said it was actually safer for him to continue his recovery and rehabilitation at the Vatican since hospitals “are the worst place to convalesce because it’s the place where you can catch the most infections.”
The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, declined to confirm any upcoming events, including a scheduled audience April 8 with King Charles III or Francis’ participation in Easter services at the end of the month. But Dr Carbone said he hoped Francis might be well enough to travel to Turkey at the end of May to participate in an important ecumenical anniversary.
