The image of Rose and Pope Francis is placed on February 27, 2025 in Rome, Italy, on the statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside the Gemeri Hospital where Pope Francis is recognized for treatment.
Yara Nardi | Reuters
Pope Francis is scheduled to be discharged from the hospital on Sunday, a doctor at Gemeri Hospital said.
Francis, 88, was hospitalized for bronchitis on February 14th and was in care for him for more than five weeks. According to the Vatican, the Pope was sometimes in a critical state, requiring high-flow oxygen therapy, and changes in his health attracted global attention.
Speaking to a reporter outside a Rome hospital on Saturday, the pope doctor confirmed that his condition was “life-threatening” twice, but confirmed it was stable for at least two weeks.
“We’re ready to welcome him into the house,” Dr. Luigi Carbon said.
His doctor added that he was undergoing “sheld discharge.” This added that it requires ongoing medication, oxygen support if necessary, and rest “for at least two months.”
“Immediately, he will not be able to continue meeting people groups or working in important jobs, and the period of prescription recovery will end and clinical improvement will be validated,” said Dr. Sergio Alfieri.
Carbone added:
Through his illness, the Vatican has insisted that Francis continues to fulfill his duties. But he has been out of the public eye for weeks. In particular, Francis was unable to attend the Catholic Jubilee celebration. This is a tradition dedicated to remission of sin that occurs every 50 years, also known as the Holy Year.
The Vatican, despite his fighting in health wars, made no indication that the Pope, unlike his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, had resigned in 2013 in a move that spurred global rage.
The Vatican said in a statement early Saturday that the Pope greeted the crowds gathered outside the hospital on Sunday, marking his first public appearance since his treatment began.
Francis’ hospitalization in recent weeks wasn’t the first time he’d ever struggled with a serious illness. In 2021 he underwent surgery for a gastrointestinal disease called diverticulitis and in 2023 he had surgery again for a hernia.
A few weeks before his hospitalization, the Pope was seen in the slings around his arms. According to the Vatican, it was necessary after the Pope fell.
Francis has been the leader of more than a billion members of the Catholic Church since 2013.
