Pope Francis discharged from hospital after 38 days

Pope Francis has been discharged from the hospital after 38 days.

The Pope, discharged on Sunday, waved to the crowd from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, while being wheeled out.

In a post on X, the Vatican said the Pope would “greet and bless the faithful” in his first public appearance.

The 88-year-old pontiff was diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs in February.

Following his hospitalisation, Gianfranco Ravasi, an Italian cardinal and former head of the Vatican’s department of cultural affairs, said the Pope could consider resigning if his health deteriorates.

“I think he could do it because he is a person who is quite decisive in his choices,” Ravasi said.

“He has always had the tendency to fight and react, and that is a legitimate choice too, because he has been able to handle trips in very difficult and challenging conditions, like the one in the Far East.

“However, there is no question that if he found himself in a situation where he was compromised in his ability to have direct contact — as he loves to do — to be able to communicate in an immediate, incisive, and decisive way, then I believe he might consider resigning.”

During his 12 years as head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis has been hospitalised several times, including in March 2023 when he spent three nights in hospital with bronchitis.