Pope Francis’s health has improved to the point that he will be discharged from the hospital in Rome on Sunday and will recover in the Vatican for at least two months, his doctors announced on Saturday evening. They stated that his severe case of pneumonia in both lungs had twice put his life in serious danger. The doctors mentioned that the pope’s condition had stabilized over the last two weeks and that he had overcome the majority of his dangerous infections, but that he was not completely healed and needed to rest for at least two months. He would need therapy and oxygen to aid his recovery before he could resume his regular schedule, and his doctors urged that the pope stay away from crowds, children, and other possible sources of infection.

Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the leader of the medical team taking care of the pope, stated that the pontiff had been asking to go back home for days and was very happy about the news. For weeks, Catholics around the world have been praying for his recovery, and since February 25, cardinals have led nightly rosary prayers in St. Peter’s Square that have drawn hundreds of faithful people each night. Pope Francis was admitted to the hospital on February 14 with bronchitis, which developed into pneumonia in both lungs and was complicated by a microbial tract infection. During a news conference at the Gemelli hospital on February 21, doctors warned that the pope was “not out of danger” due to his age and chronic lung disease.

For several weeks, Francis remained in critical condition, experiencing an asthmatic respiratory crisis, mild kidney failure, and a bronchial spasm. He used noninvasive mechanical ventilation during the night and high-flow oxygen therapy during the day. On March 10, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis was no longer in immediate danger from pneumonia and other infections but would still need further inpatient treatment. He began to decrease his use of oxygen therapy. The Vatican issued the first photo of the pontiff since his hospitalization and announced that Francis might appear on the balcony of the Gemelli to give the Angelus blessing. The 86-year-old pope has been frail and has battled various health issues, including the removal of part of one lung as a young man. He was hospitalized with bronchitis in 2023 and underwent abdominal surgery for a hernia in the same year. Despite his health issues, Francis continued to maintain a busy schedule before his hospitalization, which was intensified by the opening of the 2025 Jubilee, a year of faith, penance, and forgiveness of sins that occurs every quarter century.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/22/world/europe/pope-francis-health.html