(CNN) — Pope Francis was released from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where he has been battling double pneumonia for the past five weeks, on Sunday, returning to the Vatican where he will continue his recovery.
The pontiff left the hospital shortly after he made his first public appearance in weeks, waving to people and giving a thumbs up from a balcony.
Though the pope looked frail and struggled to speak, he addressed the crowd outside the hospital, thanking them and acknowledging one woman in the crowd who was holding flowers. He also gave a blessing, though appeared to have some difficulty raising his arms.
Despite this, the pontiff seemed alert, shaking his head when an aide came over to ask him something.
Francis, 88, was admitted to Gemelli Hospital on February 14, initially suffering from a severe respiratory infection. He was subsequently diagnosed with a polymicrobial infection, which evolved to pneumonia in both lungs.
His medical team said Saturday that his condition had now stabilized, allowing for him to be discharged to convalesce at his residence in the Vatican, Casa Santa Marta, for the next two months.
Before returning to his residence on Sunday, the pope went to the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where he offered flowers to be placed before the icon of the Virgin Mary Salus Populi Romani. The basilica holds significance to Francis, who usually visits the church before and after trips abroad, as well as after hospital stays.
The pope had previously only been seen once during his lengthy hospital stay when the Vatican released a photograph of Francis praying at the hospital’s chapel.
Francis has not led the Angelus prayer for the past six Sundays, but has still offered a reflection every week.
“During this long period of hospitalization, I have had the opportunity to experience the patience of the Lord, which I also see reflected in the tireless care of doctors and health workers, as well as in the care and hopes of the relatives of the sick,” he said in his Angelus message, which was distributed to reporters in advance.
“This trusting patience, anchored in the love of God that does not fail, is truly necessary in our life, especially to face the most difficult and painful situations,” he continued.
The pope also said in his Angelus message that he was “saddened by the resumption of heavy Israeli bombings on the Gaza Strip, with so many dead and wounded.” He called for the silencing of weapons and for peace talks between Israel and Hamas to resume, “so that all the hostages are freed and a definitive ceasefire is reached.”
While the 88-year-old pontiff is returning to his residence at Casa Santa Marta ‑ where he has lived since he was elected as pope in 2013 ‑ he will need to recuperate for at least two months to allow his body time to fully heal, his doctors said in a news conference at the hospital on Saturday evening.
Dr. Sergio Alfieri told reporters that during his 38-day hospitalization there were “two very critical episodes in which the Holy Father’s life was in danger.”
Alfieri, who is the head of the medical team that has been taking care of the pontiff, described the two-month period of convalescence as “very important.”
The pope will need to return to work gradually and has been advised against taking meetings with large groups of people for some time, Alfieri added.
During his hospitalization, the pope’s treatment required several weeks of non-invasive mechanical ventilation and oxygen.
The pontiff’s voice is improving but he needs more time to fully recover, Dr. Luigi Carbone, the Vice-Director of the Vatican’s healthcare service, said Saturday. He added that while the pope no longer has double pneumonia, he still needs to heal from the other infections he has been fighting.
Carbone told reporters that the pope has been in good spirits and had been asking to be discharged for the last few days. But he will need to continue the treatment and physiotherapy he has been doing in hospital after returning home, Carbone added.
Despite being plagued by a string of lung-related health issues, Francis has shown a determination to get better, resuming some work activities and signing documents.
Earlier this month, the pope approved a new three-year reform process for the Catholic Church. Reforms on the table include how to give greater roles to women in the Catholic Church, including ordaining them as deacons, and the greater inclusion of non-clergy members in governance and decision making.
The pope’s departure from hospital will be welcomed by many around the world and senior Vatican officials have suggested his hospital stay will have caused him to reflect.
One of his closest aides, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, said Friday that a “new stage is opening for him.”
Fernández, an Argentinian compatriot of the pope, said he had been in contact with Francis during his hospitalization though he did not specify when. He said that will need to continue with rehabilitation therapy to strengthen his voice and that the pope’s life’s “will certainly have to change” upon his return to the Vatican. Before going into the Gemelli, Francis had been keeping up an intense schedule of meetings and speeches.
“He is a man of surprises, who will surely have learned so many things in this month, and he’ll pull who knows what out of the hat,” Fernández said. “So even knowing that this has been a very heavy effort for him, a difficult time, I know it will be fruitful for the church and for the world.”
This story has been updated with developments.
The-CNN-Wire
& © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.