Pope Francis Heads Home After Five Weeks in Hospital, Blesses Crowd in Public Appearance

Pope Francis has been discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital after a five-week stay due to a severe respiratory infection that escalated into bilateral pneumonia. Upon his release, the Pope was seen in a wheelchair, reflecting the toll the illness has taken on his health. ​During his hospitalization, the Vatican released a photograph showing Pope Francis seated in a wheelchair, praying in the hospital’s private chapel. This image was the first public glimpse of the pontiff since his