Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the chief physician overseeing Pope Francis’ care, announced that the Pope is scheduled to be discharged today following a challenging five-week recovery from double pneumonia.
According to Anadolu, the 88-year-old pontiff spent more than a month in the hospital receiving treatment.
“The long-awaited good news for the world and everyone is that tomorrow the Holy Father will be returning home. Tomorrow he will go back to Santa Marta,” Alfieri shared with journalists on Saturday night.
Alfieri explained that the decision to discharge the Pope was based on his stable and rapid recovery, along with the withdrawal of his prognosis, as reported by Vatican News.
He highlighted a significant improvement in the Pope’s condition over the past week.
When Pope Francis was admitted to the hospital on February 14, he was diagnosed with acute respiratory insufficiency caused by a polymicrobial infection, which led to bilateral pneumonia.
This required intensive pharmacological treatment. Alfieri confirmed that the pneumonia had been successfully treated, although the Pope’s full recovery will take some time.
Pope Francis is expected to undergo at least two months of recovery, with ongoing medical care and rest.
Doctors are hopeful that he will gradually return to work, though not immediately in full capacity.
Alfieri noted that a temporary loss of voice is a normal side effect after pneumonia and clarified that the Pope does not suffer from diabetes.
With continued rehabilitation, he is expected to resume his normal activities in due time.
Despite his hospitalization, Pope Francis remained engaged with church and world matters, with Alfieri noting that the Pope was eager to return home, as doctors agreed that recovery at home would be most beneficial.
