Pope Francis returned to the Vatican Shortly after noon this Sunday, March 23, After more than five weeks of hospitalization for bilateral pneumonia.
The 88 -year -old Argentine pontiff, who continues Where a convalescence of at least two months awaits him, according to his doctors.
The Pope abandoned the Gemelli Polyclinic of Rome, where 38 days entered by a serious respiratory infection, Shortly after reappearing in public from a hospital window, from which he thanked the support of the crowd he expected to see him.
Francisco, who also today, in the text of the Angelus that spread in writing for sixth consecutive Sunday He was “sad” by Isareli bombings in Gaza And he asked “a definitive fire,” he left the hospital in the direction of his residence in the Vatican, but, by surprise, he changed direction when he was arriving.
Tour of Rome
In an unexpected movement, the delegation headed by the small utility that the Pope usually uses for his displacements, He deviated from his way to move to the church of Santa María la Mayor, that custody the icon ‘Salus Populi Romani’, of which Francisco is very devout and that always visits after his trips.
During its tour of the streets of the center of Rome, numerous pedestrians stopped on the sidewalks to applaud him, While Francisco, who carried the nasal cannulas to receive oxygen, greeted from inside the vehicle and thanked the samples of love.
In the Roman Basilica, in which Francisco wants to be buried, The Pontiff left a bouquet of flowers in thanks to the Virgin After his long hospitalization and then the delegation went, this time, to his residence in the house of Santa Mars del Vaticano.
Yellow flowers and thumb up
The 88 -year – In its first public appearance In six weeks to greet and bless the faithful after a hospitalization in which he suffered two serious crises that put his life in danger.
“I thank everyone,” he said before the crowd that crowded from an hour before the doors of the center and the television cameras of half the world. Appeared in a wheelchair, With good appearance and smiling, as he lifted his thumb and the crowd he expected, he shouted: “Pope Francis, Pope Francis.”
“I see that lady with the yellow flowers, how well,” He added in a very weakened voice, after the prolonged use of oxygen during his hospitalization has weakened his throat muscles, so he couldn’t say anything else.
This is the first public appearance of the Pope since on February 14 he entered the Gemelli for his breathing problems, which were due to bronchitis by polymicrobiological infection to which bilateral pneumonia joined.
On March 6, the Pope sent an audio message, in Spanish and with a very fatigued voice, During the Rosary for its restoration That he pray every night in the Plaza de San Pedro and last Sunday the Vatican published the first photo of the Pontiff in the Gemelli.