Pope Francis made his first public appearance on Sunday before being released from the hospital, where he spent five weeks recovering from a severe respiratory infection.
The 88-year-old waved from the balcony of Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he was hospitalized on February 14 in the biggest health crisis of his 12-year papacy. He suffered from pneumonia in both lungs and experienced two episodes of "acute respiratory insufficiency" during his recovery. However, the head of the Gemelli Hospital medical team, doctor Sergio Alfieri, told reporters yesterday that the pope will be discharged from the hospital and return to Santa Marta after "significant improvements" had been observed.
