Pope Francis is set to be discharged from a Rome hospital on Sunday, ending his weekslong stay for a prolonged respiratory illness.
The 88-year-old pontiff was admitted to the Gemelli Hospital in Rome for bronchitis on Feb. 14, where his condition worsened as he battled a severe case of double pneumonia that doctors multiple times warned had put him in critical danger. The pope, who lost part of his lung in his youth, has long struggled with respiratory issues.
Gemelli medical director Dr. Sergio Alfieri said on Saturday that the pope was well enough to continue his recovery, which Alfieri said would involve two months of rest, from his home at the Vatican.
The Vatican also announced on Saturday that Pope Francis would make his first public appearance since his hospitalization on Sunday, when he is set to greet crowds outside Gemelli Hospital.
The pope’s protracted illness prompted an outpouring of support, as Catholics around the world faithfully offered prayers for his recovery. For weeks, hundreds of Catholics have joined cardinals at St. Peter’s Square for a nightly rosary prayer for their spiritual leader.
In turn, the pontiff continued praying for his followers throughout his hospital stay.
After weathering multiple critical phases of his illness — including a severe bronchial spasm that caused him to aspirate his own vomit, as well as early signs of kidney failure — the Vatican had announced on March 10 that the pope was steadily improving and that doctors decided to lift their “guarded prognosis.”
A photo of Pope Francis released on March 16 showed him at prayer in the hospital, the first publicly released image of the pope since his hospitalization.
