Lucrezia Ciotti Pope Francesco will be discharged today, Sunday 23 March, from the Policlinico Gemelli after a 37-day hospital stay due to bilateral pneumonia. The latest updates from the medical team are coming in before the resignation.
Pope Francis happy to return to Santa Marta
Answering questions from journalists and some doctors present, Alfieri and Carbone explained that, although they did not weigh the Pope, it is likely that he has lost weight.
“You will see him tomorrow, when his robe will be too large for him.”, joked Alfieri, adding that, thanks to his “reserves,” the situation is not a cause for concern.
The two doctors stressed that the decision to resign always belongs to the doctors, but Pope Francis had been hoping for it for days:
“He had been asking us for 3-4 days already: when i come home?”.
The Pope's good mood, although it dropped in the most difficult moments, returned when, after a particularly difficult period, he said to the doctors with a smile: “I'm still alive.”
Pope Francis resigns, the latest bulletin from the medical team
During the press briefing at Gemelli, the medical team explained that Pope Francis, after the resignation, will go to Santa Marta for continue rehabilitation treatments. Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, specified that the bilateral pneumonia has been resolved, but the infection persists and will require more time for complete recovery.
Doctors have reassured the Pontiff's health conditions, confirming a progressive improvement. However, the Holy Father will have to observe a period of rest and continue rehabilitation with oxygen therapy. Despite the difficulties faced, the Vatican has denied any hypothesis of resignation from the pontificate, confirming that Pope Francis will gradually resume his official duties.
The period of rest at Casa Santa Marta will continue for at least two months, during which doctors advise against group meetings, physical exertion and contact with people, especially children, to avoid the risk of infection. Convalescence, they specified, is a recovery phase in which the Pope will have to limit public activities.
“We have assessed the Holy Father’s needs, which are normally the need for oxygen for as long as he needs it.”
The health care that the Health and Hygiene Department can offer to the Holy Father at Santa Marta is a 24-hour service for any emergency.
Dr. Luigi Carbone, the Pope's medical consultant in the Vatican, explained that it is difficult to predict with accuracy the voice recovery times, but recent improvements give hope for a quick recovery. Professor Sergio Alfieri, head of the Gemelli team, added that after such a serious infection, the best progress occurs at home, since the hospital represents a risk environment for new infections.
“When you have bilateral pneumonia, your lungs have been damaged and your breathing muscles have also been in trouble.”
Alfieri explained that one of the first things that happens is that you lose your voice a little, just like when, for some reason, you use your voice too loud. He added that, as with all patients, young and old, but especially the elderly, it will take time for your voice to return to what it was before. However, he emphasized that compared to ten days ago, significant improvements have been recorded from this point of view too. Carbone then said that it is difficult to predict the time for the recovery of speech, but looking at the improvements, it is hoped that this will happen quickly.
The medical team explained that during the 37 days of hospitalization, Pope Francis was never intubated and always maintained a vigilant attitude. However, the doctors revealed that there were two critical episodes in which the Pontiff was in life threatening, but he managed to overcome them thanks to timely treatment and his strength.
“Drug therapies, the administration of high-flow oxygen and non-invasive mechanical ventilation have, however, led to a slow and progressive improvement, allowing the Holy Father to emerge from the most critical episodes”.