The Pope will leave the hospital and return to Santa Marta tomorrow.Cardinal Fernandez, on the Pope's rehabilitation: "He will almost have to relearn how to speak".Pope Francis went out of the window of Gemelli Hospital this Sunday for one minute to greet the hundreds of faithful gathered in the square of the medical center. The Angelus was not prayed and the text prepared for such occasions was not read. The Holy Father tried to say a few words through the microphone set up for the occasion, although they could not be fully understood. In part of them he made an amusing reference to an elderly woman who greeted him from the hospital parking lot with a bouquet of yellow flowers.
The greeting from the window has shown two things: the Pope's evident wear and tear after five weeks of hospitalization and the good mood he is in at the moment, something that their doctors pointed out yesterday at the press conference.
Despite the emotion of the moment, he was visibly affected by the prolonged convalescence and remained seated in the wheelchair while making gestures of thanks to those present, who responded with applause and cheers.
Convalescence at the Vatican
Before returning to Casa Santa Marta after leaving the hospital, Pope Francis went to Santa Maria Maggiore and gave Cardinal Makrickas some flowers to place before the icon of Our Lady Salus Populi Romani.
At the Vatican, where oxygen has been installed in his room. Doctors told a press conference yesterday, March 22, that the Pope will have to limit his schedule considerably. During his convalescence, he will not be able to resume meetings with groups or carry out activities that involve great effort.
Regarding his recovery period in the residence of Santa MartaThe specialists assured that the Pope does not require complex medical equipment. He needs oxygen, like any patient who has suffered from bilateral pneumonia, they pointed out, recalling that the Vatican has a medical emergency service to deal with any eventuality.
However, the Holy Father will continue with prolonged sessions of motor and respiratory physiotherapy at the Vatican to strengthen his recovery and ensure a favorable evolution in his state of health.
Voice recovery
One of the main challenges now facing the Pope is the recovery of his voice, which has been affected by recent health problems. According to specialists, the episodes suffered have left sequels in his ability to speak normally, something evident in the brief audio he sent a few days ago to thank the prayers for his recovery.
Doctors have avoided specifying an exact time for the Pontiff to fully recover his voice, although they are confident that the improvement will not take too long. It will take time for the voice to return to what it was before, they explained, stressing that, although significant progress has been observed compared to ten days ago, this difficulty is a natural part of the recovery process.
News updated at 13:37
