Pope Francis, who has been hospitalized for five weeks due to pneumonia, is expected to be discharged from the Gemelli Hospital in Rome on the 23rd (local time).
Sergio Alfieri, the head of the pope's medical team and a surgeon at Gemelli Hospital, said at a press conference that "the pope is scheduled to be discharged tomorrow and return to his residence at Santa Marta in the Vatican," adding that "at least two months of rest and rehabilitation are needed for recovery."
The medical team leader explained that the pope was advised to refrain from activities that require special effort or involve large gatherings. This is the first media briefing by the pope's medical team since the one-week hospitalization began on the 21st of last month.
Matteo Bruni, the spokesperson for the Vatican, stated in a statement that "the pope is scheduled to appear at the window on the 10th floor of the Gemelli Hospital at 12 p.m. on Sunday to greet and bless the faithful." This will be the first time the pope has made a public appearance since his hospitalization on Feb. 14.
The spokesperson noted that "the pope's condition is improving," but added that "it will take time for his voice to return to normal, and there has already been significant progress."
The pope has been suffering from bronchitis since the beginning of last month and was hospitalized at Gemelli Hospital on the 14th of the same month, where pneumonia was confirmed in both lungs through a chest computed tomography (CT) scan.
Although the pope has faced several challenges, including four instances of shortness of breath, his condition has noticeably improved, allowing him to begin discharge procedures and return to the Vatican after 37 days in the hospital.