Pope Francis, frail but defiant, left Rome’s Gemelli hospital Sunday after a grueling 38-day battle with life-threatening pneumonia, heading home to the Vatican for a much-needed rest. The 88-year-old pontiff, who waved and blessed a cheering crowd from the hospital balcony in his first public appearance since February 14, sparked chants of “Viva il papa!” as his motorcade rolled through the city.
The Argentine pope, already burdened by chronic lung disease and a partial lung removal from his youth, was admitted last month when bronchitis spiraled into a complex respiratory infection—bacterial, viral, and fungal—culminating in bilateral pneumonia. His five-week stay, the longest of his 12-year papacy and second-longest in modern papal history, teetered on the edge of crisis, raising fears of resignation or worse.
Before departing, Francis appeared on Gemelli’s balcony, giving a thumbs-up to hundreds gathered below on a sunny spring morning. “Papa Francesco!” they shouted, a wave of relief washing over the faithful after weeks of uncertainty. Doctors, announcing his release Saturday, prescribed two months of rest, warning against exertion or crowds as he recovers.
Admitted February 14, Francis faced two acute respiratory crises—first on February 28, when vomit inhalation forced him onto a ventilation mask, and again days later, when medics manually cleared “copious” mucus from his lungs. Blood tests revealed anemia, low platelets, and early kidney failure, corrected with transfusions. Though never intubated, he endured, alert but weakened.
“There were moments we thought he might not make it,” said Dr. Sergio Alfieri, Gemelli’s medical chief. “But when he quipped, ‘I’m still alive,’ we knew his spirit was back.” Alfieri noted Francis’s voice remains strained—a lingering scar of lung damage—but should recover with time.
“I feel great joy today,” said Dr. Rossella Russomando, a Salerno physician in the crowd. “Our prayers from around the world brought this grace.” At the Vatican, pilgrims flooding St. Peter’s Square for the 2025 Holy Year watched his hospital goodbye live on giant screens, a testament to his enduring pull despite a muted Jubilee presence.
“For days he’s been asking when he can go home,” said Dr. Luigi Carbone, his personal physician. “He’s very happy.” Francis will rely on supplemental oxygen and round-the-clock care at his Domus Santa Marta suite, tapering off as his lungs heal. Oral meds for a fungal infection and physiotherapy will continue for months.
No firm plans are set—Easter services and an April 8 meeting with King Charles III hang in doubt. Carbone hopes Francis might manage a May trip to Turkiye for an ecumenical milestone, but the Vatican’s staying mum. The Holy Year, expecting 30 million pilgrims, rolls on without him for now, a void last seen during St. John Paul II’s 55-day hospital stint in 1981.
From a coffee shop near Gemelli, owner Mario Balsamo beamed: “We’re thrilled he’s well. Now, we pray he regains his strength.”