A weak and fragile Pope Francis returned home to the Vatican from the hospital after surviving a life-threatening pneumonia episode that lasted for five weeks.
PUBLICIDAD
A convoy carrying the 88-year-old pope entered the Vatican City through the Perugino gate. Francis was seen with nasal tubes to receive supplemental oxygen.
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During the return trip from Gemelli hospital, Francis made a small detour to take him to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where his favorite image of the Virgin is located and where he always goes to pray after a trip abroad. But it was not clear if he got out of the car, a white Fiat 500.
Before leaving Gemelli hospital, Francis raised his thumb and waved to the crowd after being wheeled in a wheelchair to the balcony overlooking the main entrance. Hundreds of people had gathered on a bright Sunday morning to say goodbye.
“I see this woman with the yellow flowers. Bravo!” said a tired and bloated Francis. He made a weak sign of the cross before being taken back inside.
Chants of “Long live the pope!” and “Pope Francis” were heard from the crowd, which included patients who had been brought outside just to see his brief appearance.
The doctors, who announced plans to discharge him at a press conference on Saturday night, said he should refrain from gathering in large groups or exerting himself too much, but eventually he should be able to resume all his normal activities.
His return home, after the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy and the second longest in recent papal history, brought tangible relief to the Vatican and to the Catholic faithful who have nervously followed the 38 days of medical ups and downs, wondering if Francis would pull through.
“Today I feel great joy,” said Dr. Rossella Russomando, a doctor from Salerno who did not treat Francisco but was at the Gemelli on Sunday. “It is proof that all our prayers, all the rosaries from around the world, brought about this grace.”
The pope is happy to go home
In the Vatican on Sunday, pilgrims gathered as they have done throughout the year at St. Peter’s Basilica to participate in the Holy Year 2025. They crowded into St. Peter’s Square and passed through the Holy Door in groups, while the large TV screens in the square lit up to broadcast live the pope’s greeting from the hospital.
No special arrangements have been made at the Domus Santa Marta, the Vatican hotel next to St. Peter’s Basilica where Francis lives in a two-bedroom suite on the second floor. Francis will have access to supplementary oxygen and round-the-clock medical care as needed, although Carbone said he hoped that Francis would progressively need less assistance to breathe as his lungs recover.
Although the pneumonia infection has been successfully treated, Francis will continue taking oral medication for quite some time to treat the fungal infection in his lungs and will continue his respiratory and physical therapy.
Two crises that threatened his life
The Argentine pope, who has a chronic lung disease and had part of a lung removed when he was young, was admitted to Gemelli Hospital on February 14 after a bout of bronchitis worsened.
The doctors first diagnosed a complex respiratory tract infection of bacterial, viral, and fungal origin, and shortly after, pneumonia in both lungs. Blood tests showed signs of anemia, low platelets, and the onset of renal failure, all of which were resolved after two blood transfusions.
The most serious setbacks began on February 28, when Francis experienced a severe coughing fit and inhaled vomit, requiring the use of a non-invasive mechanical ventilation mask to help him breathe. He suffered two more respiratory crises a few days later, which required doctors to manually suction “abundant” amounts of mucus from his lungs. At that point, he started sleeping with the ventilation mask at night to help his lungs eliminate fluid buildup.
He was never intubated and never lost consciousness. The doctors reported that he always remained alert and cooperative, although they say he has probably lost some weight due to a natural loss of appetite.
“Unfortunately, yes, there was a time when many said he might not make it. And it was painful for us,” said Mario Balsamo, the owner of a café in front of Gemelli hospital. “Instead, today with his discharge, we are very happy that he is well and we hope that he will recover soon and regain his strength.”
“I’m still alive”
Doctor Sergio Alfieri, who coordinated Francisco’s medical team, emphasized that not all patients who develop such a severe case of bilateral pneumonia survive, let alone are discharged from the hospital. He said that Francis’s life was in danger twice, during the two acute respiratory crises, and that the pope understandably lost his typical good sense of humor at that time.
“When he was really unwell, it was hard for him to be in a good mood,” Alfieri said. “But one morning we went to listen to his lungs and asked him how he was doing. When he replied, ‘I’m still alive,’ we knew he was okay and had regained his good humor.”
Alfieri confirmed that Francis still had problems speaking due to damage to his lungs and respiratory muscles. But he said that these problems were normal, especially in elderly patients, and that his voice was progressing well to return. He predicted that eventually it would return to normal.
In the last two weeks, Francis has stabilized and shown slight improvements. He no longer needs to use the breathing mask at night and is reducing his dependency on high flows of supplementary oxygen during the day.
There are no confirmed appointments for now
Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni refused to confirm any upcoming events, including an audience scheduled for April 8 with King Charles III or Francis' participation in Easter services at the end of the month. However, Carbone said he hoped that Francis would be well enough to travel to Turkey at the end of May to participate in a significant ecumenical anniversary.
The pope also returns to the Vatican in the midst of a Holy Year, a celebration that occurs every twenty-five years and is expected to attract more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome this year. The pope has already missed several Jubilee audiences and will presumably miss several more, but Vatican officials say that his absence has not significantly impacted the expected number of pilgrims.
Francis posted a voice message thanking people for their prayers on March 6th, and the Vatican distributed a photo of him on March 16th. But the Sunday blessing is his first live appearance since he was admitted.
Only Saint John Paul II had a longer hospitalization in 1981, when he spent 55 days at Gemelli hospital for minor surgery and then remained there to treat an infection.