Pope Francis is set to make his first public appearance in over five weeks on Sunday. He will offer a blessing from the window of his hospital room at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where he has been undergoing treatment for double pneumonia.
The Vatican stated that the 88-year-old pontiff, who was admitted to the hospital on February 14 for a severe respiratory infection, is still undergoing treatment but is on the path to recovery.
The pope has only been seen by the public in a photo released by the Vatican last week. The picture shows him praying at a chapel within the hospital.
While Francis usually offers a weekly prayer to the faithful in St. Peter’s Square on Sundays, however, he has been unable to do it since February 9.
The Vatican clarified that he would not be delivering his usual prayer this Sunday. Instead, he plans to appear around noon from his hospital window to greet the public and offer a blessing.
Francis has a history of lung problems, including pleurisy during his youth and the partial removal of one lung, which increases his vulnerability to respiratory infections.
His recent hospitalization is the longest time he has spent out of the public eye since becoming pope in 2013.
The latest updates from the Vatican show that the pope is gradually reducing his reliance on high-flow oxygen.
Cardinal Victor Fernandez, the Vatican’s chief doctrinal official, has shared that while the pope’s recovery is progressing, he may need additional time to regain his speaking ability fully, as the use of oxygen during his hospitalization has impacted his vocal cords.
Although an official timeline for Pope Francis’ discharge has not been announced, it is speculated that he could return to the Vatican before his meeting with King Charles of Britain on April 8.
(With Reuters Inputs)
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