Pope Francis made his first public appearance after a five-week-long health crisis, and he was finally dismissed from the hospital.
Francis appeared to be close to death for the past month after being diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs. The crisis ended Sunday morning, as he was finally released from the hospital. Before leaving, he briefly appeared on the balcony in a wheelchair to wave to and thank his cheering supporters.
“Thank you all,” he said into a microphone.
He was driven out of the hospital minutes later in a convoy. He stopped to pray at the Papal Basilica in the center of Rome before returning to the Vatican.
The head of his medical team said the pontiff would need another two months of rest after returning home. He would altogether require “a lot of time” to fully heal.
The hospital stay was the longest and most serious of Francis’s tenure. Faithful Catholics gathered nightly in St. Peter’s Square for a recitation of the rosary.
POPE FRANCIS RELEASES FIRST AUDIO MESSAGE SINCE HOSPITALIZATION: ‘I ACCOMPANY YOU FROM HERE’
The Vatican maintained that Francis continued to carry out the duties of his office while hospitalized. He communicated with his supporters throughout.
“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the Square. I
accompany you from here,” the pope said in a 30-second message on March 6.
