Pope Francis resurfaces after hospitalisation, calls for peace
Pope Francis appeared in public on Sunday for the first time since his hospitalisation began, which lasted more than five weeks. He greeted the gathered crowd from the balcony on the fifth floor of the Gemelli Polyclinic. "Thank you all," he said.
The crowd in front of the hospital cheered and shouted: "Pope Francis." The Pope noticed a woman with yellow flowers. He was still speaking with difficulty. Among the hundreds of cheering people gathered in the courtyard outside the hospital was the Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri.
Francis will leave the Gemelli Polyclinic after 37 days in hospital. His recovery will take at least two months.
On 14th February, the Pope was admitted to the hospital due to a respiratory infection. Initially diagnosed with bronchitis, the Pope's health condition worsened, leading to bilateral pneumonia. Professor Sergio Alfieri, head of the medical team, admitted that during the hospital stay, the Pope was twice in critical condition.
The most challenging day was 22nd February, when the Pope experienced a prolonged respiratory crisis. This required the administration of high-flow oxygen and a transfusion due to thrombocytopenia. On 28th February, another respiratory crisis occurred, raising concerns among the faithful worldwide.
In his meditations for the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis confessed that during his hospital stay, he experienced "the patience of the Lord," which he also saw in the care of the medical staff.
In the text announced by the Vatican, Francis wrote: "During this long period of hospitalisation, I have had the opportunity to experience the patience of the Lord, which I also see reflected in the tireless care of doctors and health care workers as well as in the attentiveness and hopes of the patients’ families."
"This confident patience, anchored in God’s love that never fails, is truly necessary for our lives, especially to face the most difficult and painful situations," added Francis.
The Pope on the resumption of "heavy Israeli bombings"
He then referred to current events in the world, emphasizing, "I am saddened by the resumption of heavy Israeli bombing on the Gaza Strip, causing many deaths and injuries. I ask that the weapons be silenced immediately and that the courage be found to resume dialogue so that all the hostages can be freed and a definitive ceasefire reached."
The Pope noted that the humanitarian situation in Gaza "is once again extremely serious and requires the urgent commitment of the warring parties and the international community."
"On the other hand, I am pleased that Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on the final text of the peace agreement. I hope that it may be signed as soon as possible, and may thus contribute to establishing lasting peace in the South Caucasus," he declared.
Francis also wrote: "You are continuing to pray for me with great patience and perseverance: thank you very much! I pray for you too. And together, let us pray for an end to wars and for peace, especially in tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo."
