Pope Francis left the Gemelli Polyclinic hospital yesterday after three nights admitted for bronchitis and wanted to show that he is in good shape. “I’m still alive, you know?”, he said to the reporters who were waiting for him, getting out of the car to greet especially the press and some faithful gathered in front of the doors of the health center.
“I remember something that an old man, older than me, once said to me when faced with a situation like this. ‘I, father, do not know death, but I have seen it coming… It’s ugly, huh!'”, recalled the Argentine pope, with a huge smile on his face, but with his voice visibly tired after the convalescence
Francis confirmed that he will preside over all the celebrations of the intense Vatican Holy Week, and yesterday everything was ready in St. Peter’s Square for the Palm Sunday Mass, which will predictably be officiated by Argentine Cardinal Leonardo Sandri.
As the Holy See had already advanced, the Argentine pope left the hospital in the morning in the passenger seat of his white Fiat 500, and when he saw the dozens of journalists he wanted to get out of the car especially to thank them for the job of reporting on the evolution of his state of health. “Beautiful articles, precise things to avoid fantasies. You’re good, you’re good”, he assured them, given the anticipated conclave rumors that were unleashed after his entry into the Gemelli.
As to whether he had been afraid after Wednesday’s general hearing, when he felt a strong discomfort that made it difficult for him to breathe and for which they decided to take him to the hospital for some tests, he assured that “no, fear not”. “I don’t know, I felt like discomfort. Like when you have an upset stomach and you feel bad”, he explained, without giving it any more importance.
Afterwards, he came across a boy with his arm in a cast from an accident playing football and wanted to sign his bandages, but the most emotional moment was when he comforted a couple who had lost their daughter the night before to an illness genetics When he got back into the car, he headed to the Basilica of Santa Maria Major in central Rome to pray for the sick children and the doctors who helped him during his recovery. He then went back to the Vatican, where he stopped at the entrance to give some chocolate eggs to the agents who were waiting for him.
During these days in hospital, the Pope responded well to intravenous antibiotic therapy and soon began to read some newspapers and resume some work matters. He even had time to celebrate his improvement by sharing some pizzas with the healthcare staff and his assistants, and on Friday afternoon he wanted to visit some children admitted to the neurosurgery and oncology unit, to whom he also brought Easter eggs and other gifts. He got to baptize one of them, little Miquel Àngel, the most “beautiful” moment of his stay in the hospital, according to legend.