Pope Francis will leave the hospital after a five-week stay

Pope Francis waved from the hospital window before to his release on Sunday, marking his first public appearance in five weeks.

On Saturday, Pope Francis waved from the window of Rome’s Gemelli Hospital in his first public appearance in more than a month. According to his physicians, the 88-year-old pope, who was admitted on February 14 because of a serious lung illness, will be released on Sunday.

One of his senior doctors, Dr. Sergio Alfieri, said Pope Francis had two potentially fatal episodes during his five-week hospitalization. He stayed conscious during his treatment, though, and was never intubated. Doctors say he is now stable and no longer has pneumonia, but he is not totally recovered.

Dr. Alfieri said reporters, “We are pleased to announce that he will be at home tomorrow.”

Before resuming his full schedule, the Pope will require a minimum of two months of repose upon his return to the Vatican. Before leaving for his home on Sunday, he is supposed to give a blessing from his hospital window.

The Pope’s voice is still feeble, according to doctors, since high-flow oxygen therapy has dried out his throat. “It will take time for the voice to return to normal, especially in the elderly,” Dr. Alfieri stated.

Pope Francis has shown signs of recovery despite his persistent health issues. He no longer needed artificial ventilation at night, according to a Vatican study released on Friday, and his breathing and mobility had improved.

The Pope has only been in public once since his illness, in a picture published by the Vatican that depicts him worshiping in a hospital chapel. He thanked the faithful for their prayers in an audio recording that was broadcast in St. Peter’s Square earlier this month.

Throughout his 12-year tenure as head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis has experienced a number of health problems. He still has a higher risk of respiratory infections because he had a portion of his lung removed when he was twenty-one.