Pope Francis is showing signs of recovery following a serious bout of pneumonia, with the Vatican announcing on Friday that the pontiff is experiencing “slight improvements.”
Hopes are rising that the 88-year-old leader of the Catholic Church may make a rare public appearance this weekend for the traditional Angelus prayer.
After spending five weeks receiving intensive care at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, Francis was discharged on March 23 and returned to the Vatican.
Doctors have recommended at least two months of recuperation at home.
Since his hospitalization, the pope has been unable to appear at his usual window in the Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter’s Square for the Sunday Angelus.
Instead, for seven consecutive weeks, he has issued written messages at noon.
This Sunday’s Angelus “could be held differently from on previous Sundays,” the Vatican press office noted, adding that further information would be released on Saturday.
According to Vatican updates, Francis’ health continues to move in a positive direction, with “further slight improvements” observed in his breathing, voice, which had been impaired by pneumonia in both lungs and motor functions.
Recent blood tests have shown slight progress in fighting the infection, and his reliance on supplemental oxygen is “slightly decreasing,” the Vatican added.
Francis, who has served as the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide since 2013, faced two critical moments during his hospital stay, according to medical staff.
Since his February 14 admission to Gemelli, the pope has only been seen in public once. Before his release, he briefly appeared on a hospital balcony, offering a soft-spoken wave and thanks to those who had gathered to support him.
Later, he was photographed in his vehicle, a plastic breathing tube — a cannula — visible in his nose.
While continuing to rest and undergo treatment, the pontiff remains engaged in his papal duties, though his interactions have been limited to a few close aides, the Vatican said.
On Friday morning, he joined a sermon remotely via videolink and earlier in the week participated virtually in a mass commemorating the 20th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s passing.
The Vatican emphasized that it remains “too soon to discuss his participation in events running up to Easter,” which will be celebrated this year on April 20, a crucial season for the global Christian community.
