Pope Francis discharged from hospital

International

AFTER a five-week bout with pneumonia, Pope Francis was finally discharged from hospital on Sunday.

The 88-year-old pontiff made his first public appearance since he was hospitalized last February 14 when he appeared at his window of the Gemelli hospital in Rome, a BBC report said.

The pope was discharged minutes after the public apperance, where he offered a blessing to a crowd of faithful from the hospital window.

One of the doctors treating the 88-year-old pontiff, Dr. Sergio Alfieri, stated that while the Pope has shown significant improvement, he will require at least two months of continued rest.

However, the doctors noted that if his current condition further improves, he may be allowed to return to work in no time.

During his hospitalization, Pope Francis faced two critical episodes where his life was at risk, but he remained alert and did not require intubation, said Dr. Alfieri in the BBC report.

The Vatican has also confirmed that the Pope is no longer reliant on mechanical ventilation and is gradually reducing oxygen therapy as his recovery progresses.

Furthermore, the Sunday crowd gathered outside the hospital were in joy seeing the Pope again, with some individuals describing the moment as emotional and uplifting.

Francis thanked the faithful for their prayers in an earlier audio message recorded from his Papal Suite in the hospital while expressing gratitude and blessings for their support.

The Argentinian-born Pontiff has spent 12 years as the highest leader of the Roman Catholic faith.

Throughout the Pope’s life, he has faced a few health issues, including having part of his lung removed at the age of 21, a procedure that has increased his susceptibility to infections.(Rey Martin Rio, USJ-R Comm Intern)