Pope Francis is back home in the Vatican after spending 38 days in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital where was treated for double pneumonia and survived two crises where his life was in danger.
The happy pope arrived back at Santa Marta, the Vatican guesthouse where he has lived since his election as pope in 2013, just before 1 p.m. local time. He must now begin a period of “rest and convalescence of no less than two months,” as his doctors told the press yesterday, when they announced that he would be discharged from hospital today.
Pope Francis was driven back to the Vatican from the hospital in a small, white Fiat 500 car. He sat in the front seat, beside the driver—his usual position. He waved to the cheering crowd as he left the hospital, shortly after appearing at the balcony window on a lower floor of the hospital, for the first time since his admission to the Gemelli on Feb.14.
Hundreds of Romans and pilgrims from many lands had gathered from early morning in front of the hospital, around the statue of St. John Paul II, waiting for the pope to appear at the hospital window. The statue of his Polish predecessor had become a holy site to pray for the Argentine pope during his time in hospital, and every day a steady flow of people from many lands came here to pray for his recovery, and placed photos of Francis around the statue, as well as votive candles, messages, prayers and other items.
There was an atmosphere of excitement and joy as people waited for him to appear. Some prayed the rosary, others took photos or selfies. A great many chanted repeatedly, “Papa Francesco” as the hands of the clock moved towards midday, the hour Francis was due to appear. Many people in the crowd carried banners with messages. One in Italian, held by two young men, stood out: “In a world of hate,Yes to Francis.” The international media were here in force to record this historic moment.
The windows were opened 10 minutes before he arrived, which only intensified the excitement and expectation. A great cheer went up as Pope Francis appeared at the window in a wheelchair for the first time in over a month. The crowd chanted “Papa Francesco,” some shouted “Viva il Papa,” as he arrived. His face looked a little tired, and he had marks under his eyes (probably from the mask he had to wear at night to receive oxygen), and he seemed frail. But his eyes revealed he was so happy to be here. He waved a little with both hands, and gave the thumbs up sign, and smiled.
“Thanks to you all. I see a woman with yellow flowers. She is brava. Thank you all!” Francis said, as he spotted an Italian woman, Carmela Mancuso, who came with flowers every day during his hospitalization. She also brings flowers to his public audiences in the Vatican.
He obviously wanted to say more, but he was unable to do so as he still has to recover his voice that he has largely lost. He has endured a month-long struggle, with the assistance of an extraordinarily skilled medical team, to overcome pneumonia in both lungs.
Several doctors, interviewed by the Italian media, say they are confident that he will recover his voice fully after a period of further respiratory therapy. Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the lead doctor of the medical team that cared for him, said the same at the press conference yesterday. Today, no one expected him to say much, but people felt immense joy and emotion at seeing him for the first time since he was admitted to hospital.
After a minute, Pope Francis blessed the crowd. He seemed to have a little trouble breathing before he was wheeled away. His appearance at the balcony was less than two minutes long, but it was an indelible, priceless and historic moment for all who saw it. Those present included one of the new auxiliary bishops of Buenos Aires, Pedro Canavo, whom Francis had ordained to the priesthood when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires. Last year the pope named him a bishop.
“I feel immense happiness. I wept with joy,” Bishop Canavo told me after the pope had left.
Minutes later Francis, wearing nasal tubes to receive oxygen, was helped into a small car and was driven out from the hospital grounds. People ran and cheered as they spotted him leaving, and a smiling Francis waved back.
Everyone thought he was going straight back to the Vatican, but Francis, ever the pope of surprises, had another plan. He asked to be driven first to the Basilica of St. Mary Major to pray and thank God for his recovery in front of the revered image of Our Lady, protectress of the Roman people.
He used to come here to pray every time he came to Rome before becoming pope, and more than 100 times during his pontificate, including before and after every one of his 47 foreign trips. Today, however, following his doctor’s advice, he did not get out of the car to enter the basilica. Instead when he arrived there he gave a bouquet of flowers to Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, the Lithuanian cardinal who is coadjutor archpriest of the basilica, and asked him to place them in front of the revered icon in thanksgiving for his recovery.
From the Basilica of St. Mary Major’s, the pope was then driven to the Vatican. Now he begins his two months or more of convalescence and, as his eyes tell, he is clearly happy to be home.
