Doctors "happy" Pope is going home, say 2 months of rest ahead

Record ID: 1985591

  • Title: Doctors "happy" Pope is going home, say 2 months of rest ahead
  • Date: 22nd March 2025
  • Summary: ROME, ITALY (MARCH 22, 2025) (REUTERS) VATICAN SPOKESPERSON, MATTEO BRUNI, ARRIVING AT LECTERN AND GREETING REPORTERS, CHIEF SURGEON AT GEMELLI HOSPITAL, SERGIO ALFIERI, WALKING BEHIND MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHIEF SURGEON AT GEMELLI HOSPITAL, SERGIO ALFIERI, SAYING: "The news today is the Pope will be discharged tomorrow. That's very important for everybody all over t
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: GEMELLI HOSPITAL ITALY POPE FRANCIS ROME VATICAN
  • Location: ROME, ITALY
  • City: ROME, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Europe,Religion/Belief,Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA001093322032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Pope Francis will be discharged from hospital on Sunday (March 23) but will need a further two months of rest at the Vatican, the head of his medical team said on Saturday (March 22).
    Francis, 88, has been battling pneumonia for more than five weeks after being admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on February 14 with a severe respiratory infection that became the most serious health crisis of his 12-year papacy.
    While Francis will return to the Vatican on Sunday, his doctors said it would take some time for his ageing body to fully heal.
    They said they had prescribed the pope two months of repose, and had advised him against taking any meetings with large groups, or that take special effort.
    The Vatican said earlier on Saturday that Francis also planned to make his first appearance in more than five weeks on Sunday, offering a blessing from the his hospital room, where he has been battling double pneumonia.
    The pope has been seen by the public only once during his hospital stay, in a photo the Vatican released last week, showing the pontiff at prayer in a hospital chapel.
    Francis wants to come to the hospital window around noon (1100 GMT) on Sunday to give a greeting and blessing, the Vatican said in its brief statement earlier on Saturday.
    The pope usually offers a weekly midday prayer in St. Peter's Square on Sundays.
    Francis has not been able to do so since February 9, before going to hospital.
    (Production: Veronica Altimari, Christine Uyanik, Yesim Dikmen, Matteo Negri)
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