After more than a month of treatment for respiratory issues, it has been reported that Pope Francis will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow.

The 88-year-old Pope, the spiritual leader of Catholics and the Head of State of the Vatican, has been receiving treatment for bilateral pneumonia at Gemelli Hospital in Rome for 37 days after the severe bronchitis he suffered in February. Pope’s doctors, Professor Sergio Alfieri and Doctor Luigi Carbone, held a press conference at the hospital. Prof. Alfieri stated that he would deliver the good news that the whole world has been waiting for today, saying, “The Pope will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow. He has been in a stable condition for two weeks.” Pope will return to his residence at the Santa Marta Guesthouse in the Vatican and complete his recovery period for two months. It was advised that he should refrain from mass gatherings and intense physical activities. The doctors revealed that the Pope, who has been receiving treatment in the hospital for over a month, had overcome life-threatening situations twice. Alfieri mentioned that the bilateral pneumonia diagnosis on the Pope no longer applied, but the polymicrobial infection was still ongoing, and it would take time for him to fully recover from it. Dr. Carbone also mentioned that it was uncertain how long it would take for the Pope to regain his ability to speak, expressing hope for a swift recovery. It was highlighted by the doctors that the Pope never had Covid, did not have diabetes, and was a model patient who followed medical advice.

WILL THE POPE VISIT TURKEY? When a journalist reminded Vatican Spokesman Matteo Bruni that it was planned for the Pope to visit Nicaea in Turkey at the end of May to mark the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea and asked if this visit would be possible, Bruni responded, “This trip has never been officially announced by the Vatican, and a decision will be made based on the Pope’s health condition.” Bruni also shared that as announced this morning, Pope Francis would greet those awaiting him after the Sunday prayer in the hospital tomorrow and then be discharged to return to the Vatican as soon as possible.

RECEIVING TREATMENT SINCE FEBRUARY 14th The Pope had experienced bronchitis during two public events on February 9 and 12, causing difficulty in breathing and preventing him from speaking, prompting him to ask his aides to read the speech texts. He was admitted to Gemelli Hospital on February 14, and a diagnosis of polymicrobial infection was made. On February 18, the Vatican announced that Pope had developed bilateral pneumonia, and his clinical condition had become complicated. On February 22, it was reported that the Pope had suffered an asthma attack and was in critical condition. On February 28, it was reported that Pope had undergone bronchoaspiration after suffering a bronchospasm crisis, mechanical ventilation was initiated, and a positive response to treatment was observed. The Pope, who experienced acute respiratory failure twice on March 3, had non-invasive mechanical ventilation restarted. Since March 4, the Pope has been stable and started showing signs of mild improvement. The last chest X-ray taken on March 12 reportedly confirmed the radiological improvements seen in the previous days. On March 16, the Vatican shared a photo of Pope Francis praying in the chapel in his hospital room. This image was the first photo shared since the Pope’s hospitalization.