Pope Francis will be discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Sunday after spending more than five weeks battling double pneumonia, doctors have confirmed.
The 88-year-old has been recovering and will need at least two months of rest at the Vatican after leaving the hospital.
The Vatican said on Friday that the Pope’s condition was improving. However, Cardinal Victor Fernandez, head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office, noted that the prolonged use of high-flow oxygen therapy had affected his speech.
“The Pope is doing very well, but high-flow oxygen dries everything out. He needs to relearn how to speak, but his overall physical condition is as it was before,” Fernandez said, according to Reuters.
The Vatican also confirmed that Pope Francis no longer requires mechanical ventilation at night. Instead, he is receiving oxygen through a small tube under his nose, and during the day, his need for high-flow oxygen has reduced.
Since his admission to the hospital on 14 February, Pope Francis has been seen in public only once. Last week, the Vatican released a photo of him praying in a hospital chapel.
Earlier this month, an audio recording of the Pope speaking in Spanish was played in St Peter’s Square. His voice sounded breathless as he thanked Catholics for their prayers.
There has been speculation that Pope Francis might follow the example of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, and step down. However, Cardinal Fernandez dismissed these rumors.
When asked if the Pope would be well enough to return before Easter, which falls on 20 April, Fernandez said he did not know.
Pope Francis has led the Roman Catholic Church for nearly 12 years. He has faced several health issues in his life, including having part of one lung removed at the age of 21, making him more vulnerable to infections.
