Pope Francis to make first public appearance since hospitalization
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The Pope's condition continues to improve after more than a month of hospitalization due to a case of bronchitis that developed into pneumonia in both lungs.
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Pope Francis blesses the faithful during his weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall, at The Vatican, on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. (AP)
Pope Francis is set to make his first public appearance after more than five weeks of hospitalization due to pneumonia, greeting people from the hospital room window where he is recovering.
The Vatican stated on Saturday that the 88-year-old pontiff wishes to appear at the window of his room in Rome’s Gemelli hospital after the midday prayers on Sunday, where he intends to offer both a greeting and a blessing, as his health stabilizes and continues to improve.
Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, who leads the Vatican’s doctrinal office, stated on Friday that while the pope is “doing very well,” the high-flow oxygen treatment “dries everything out,” requiring the pontiff to “relearn to speak.” “But his overall physical condition is as it was before," the Cardinal said.
Cardinal Fernandez stated that a "new stage" was opening on the 12th year of Francis' papacy, and that he expects some new surprises from the head of the Catholic Church once he is discharged.
The timing of the Pope's discharge remains uncertain, as Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, the archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, stated last week that the possibility remains for the pope to recover in time to meet the UK's King Charles and Queen Camilla at an audience scheduled for 8 April.
According to the Vatican, Pope Francis fell into a critical condition on February 23 after experiencing a prolonged respiratory crisis while undergoing treatment for pneumonia and a complex lung infection, having previously suffered from bronchitis that progressed into pneumonia in both lungs on February 14.
Francis, who had part of his lung removed in his youth, has been receiving care in a special papal suite at Rome's Gemelli hospital since February 14. Despite experiencing several respiratory crises, his condition has been described as "stable" for several days.
The Vatican announced on March 11 that Pope Francis is no longer in immediate danger and is responding well to treatment, marking progress in his recovery from double pneumonia, with its latest update stating that doctors had lifted the previous “guarded” prognosis, indicating that his condition had stabilized.
