Pope Francis will spend “at least two months” recuperating at his home in the Vatican after leaving the hospital on Sunday, according to one of his doctors.
The 88-year-old pope has been in the Gemelli hospital in Rome since February 14 after being admitted with respiratory issues and then battling pneumonia in both lungs.
Earlier, the Vatican announced that the pope would wave and bless from Gemelli Hospital on Sunday.
On Saturday, the doctor, Sergio Alfieri, stated that “tomorrow, the pope will leave (the hospital) and return to Saint Martha’s House” in the Vatican, which is the residence of Pope Francis.
There, the head of the Catholic Church will have to endure “a long convalescence… of at least two months,” Alfieri told reporters.
“We hope that he will soon be able to resume his normal activities,” said Luca Carbone, another hospital doctor, who stated that the ageing pope’s health “is improving.”
Alfieri continued: “Further progress will take place at his home because a hospital—even if this seems strange—is the worst place to recover because it’s where one can contract more infections.”
– Resignation talk dismissed –
The pope’s weakened health had sparked rumours that he would resign, just like Benedict XVI previously did.
Given that this hospital stay is the longest in Francis’s tenure as pope, there are concerns over who will oversee the hectic liturgical calendar coming up to Easter, the holiest time of the year for Christians.
For the first time since his election in March 2013, the pope has for five weeks in a row skipped the Angelus prayers, which are typically recited by the pope every Sunday.
The pope’s Sunday appearance will take place after the Angelus prayers, the Vatican announced early Saturday.
Francis suspended his use of an oxygen mask, the Vatican had already announced on Wednesday.
Francis had a portion of his lung removed when he was a young man, and the Vatican published daily briefings on his health during the majority of the pope’s hospital stay, including the critical stages.
During a visit to the Vatican, Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state, informed reporters on Monday that Francis’ health had improved.
When questioned about if the topic of the pope’s resignation had come up, he responded, “No, no, no, absolutely not.”
People throughout the world, including Catholics, have been praying for his quick recovery. Flowers, candles, and notes for Francis have been left outside the Gemelli hospital by many.
