Pope Francis has arrived at the Papal Basilica to pray following his release from hospital after surviving a life-threatening bout of pneumonia.
The basilica is a place the Holy Father often goes to pray before and after any trips he makes.
His will shortly return home to the Vatican, bringing to an end a 38-day hospital stay, the longest of his 12-year papacy and the second-longest in recent papal history.
The 88-year-old pope appeared on a public balcony at Rome’s Gemelli hospital to bless the crowd shortly before being discharged, in his first public outing in more than five weeks.
“I see this woman with the yellow flowers. Brava!” a tired-looking Francis said while waving.
He gave a thumbs up – and a weak sign of the cross before being wheeled back inside.
Chants of “Viva il papa!” and “Papa Francesco” could be heard from the crowd, which included patients who had been wheeled outside just to catch his brief appearance.
The blessing came shortly before he was released to return home to the Vatican for a two-month period of rest and convalescence.
Image: Pope Francis waves as he leaves Gemelli Hospital. Pic: Reuters
Doctors announced his planned release on Saturday, and said the Holy Father should refrain from meeting with big groups – but added that he should be able to resume all normal activities eventually.
No special arrangements have been made at the Domus Santa Marta, the Vatican hotel next to the basilica where Francis lives in a two-room suite on the second floor. But he will have access to supplemental oxygen and 24-hour medical care as needed.
Image: Nuns and faithful gather in St. Peter’s Square at The Vatican to follow on giant screens a live broadcast. Pic: AP
While the pneumonia infection has been successfully treated, Francis will continue to take oral medication to treat a fungal infection in his lungs and continue respiratory and physical physiotherapy.
“For three or four days he’s been asking when he can go home, so he’s very happy,” Dr Luigi Carbone, his personal physician, said.
Image: Pope Francis gestures as he appears at a window of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome. Pic: AP
The Argentine pope, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli on Valentine’s Day after a bout of bronchitis worsened.
Dr Sergio Alfieri, the medical and surgical chief at Gemelli who coordinated Francis’s medical team, confirmed he was still having trouble speaking due to the damage to his lungs and respiratory muscles. But he predicted his voice would eventually return to normal.
Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, declined to confirm any upcoming events, including a scheduled audience on 8 April with the King or Francis’s participation in Easter services at the end of the month.
But Dr Carbone said he was hopeful the pope may be well enough to travel to Turkey at the end of May to participate in an important anniversary for the church. He is returning to the Vatican in the midst of a busy Holy Year, a celebration that takes place every 25 years and is scheduled to draw more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome this year.
Image: Crowds cheered at his appearance. Pic: AP
While he has already missed several Jubilee audiences, Vatican officials say his absence hasn’t significantly impacted the numbers arriving.
The only other pope to experience such a lengthy hospital stay was St John Paul II who spent 55 days at Gemelli in 1981 for minor surgery and the treatment of an infection.
