Pope Francis was discharged from the Gemelli Polyclinic hospital in Rome (Italy) after being admitted last Wednesday for respiratory and heart problems. Doctors diagnosed him with bronchitis, which he has since recovered from. Vatican News, the official media outlet of the Holy See, published images of the Pope's departure from the medical center.
Pope Francis leaving Gemelli Policlinic pic.twitter.com/bxarJUSO3e
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) April 1, 2023
"I only felt discomfort and I was not afraid, I am still alive," Pope Francis joked after being discharged. This Sunday he will preside at the Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, which inaugurates the rites of Holy Week. It is still unknown whether the Holy Father will officiate the Mass or if Cardinal Leonardo Sandri will do so.
Pope Francis was hospitalized in the summer of 2021, when he underwent an operation to remove part of his intestine. He also has problems with his knee which stem from a previous injury.
