At the moment, Pope Francis does not receive visitors and is surrounded by the medical and health team that assists him 24 hours a day and attends to his needs.
Photo: Vatican news
Newsroom (02/04/2025 21:55, Gaudium Press) Pope Francis has returned to the Vatican, ending a 38-day stay in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, the longest hospitalization of a pontiff in recent history. His departure was marked by great emotion, with faithful and pilgrims gathered in prayer from the early hours of the day.
Before leaving the hospital, the Pope appeared briefly on the balcony of a lower floor, smiling and blessing those present. Visibly weakened, but without the aid of oxygen, he thanked those who had supported him during his hospitalization. His voice was still weak from his recent battle with double pneumonia which, according to the doctors, had almost cost him his life.
Leaving the hospital in a white Fiat 500, sitting in the front seat next to the driver, the Pope, still frail, waved to the crowd, but this time with a nasal cannula to receive high-flow oxygen. How will his pontificate continue?
The seriousness of his medical condition was confirmed by Dr. Sergio Alfieri, who was responsible for his treatment. “We had to choose between stopping (the treatment) and letting him go or insisting and trying all the medicines and therapies possible, at a very high risk of damaging other organs.” Francis was on the verge of death on two occasions: on February 28, when he inhaled his own vomit and suffered severe respiratory failure, and on March 3, when double lung failure required two bronchoscopies. “It was terrible, we really didn’t think we were going to make it,” said the doctor. “I can say that, twice, the situation was lost, and then a miracle happened.”
The final decision was made on the basis of instructions from the Pope himself, communicated by his health assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti. Francis, aware of the risk, chose to fight for his life.
Before returning to Casa Santa Marta, where he has lived since the beginning of his pontificate, Francis made an unexpected stop at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore to give thanks for his recovery in front of the Marian icon. Without getting out of the car, he handed a bouquet of flowers to the cardinal in charge of the basilica and asked that it be placed in front of the image.
The Pope will now spend at least two months convalescing. His residence at Casa Santa Marta has been isolated to ensure his recovery, with access restricted to a few members of his team. The medical recommendation is that he continue with motor and respiratory therapies.
Faced with concerns about his health, speculation arose about a possible resignation. However, one of his closest collaborators, Argentinian cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, dismissed this hypothesis, guaranteeing that Francisco is still mentally fit to lead the Church. “I really don’t believe that. Not that!” the Cardinal told journalists after the presentation of a book on poetry in Pope Francis’ pontificate, written by Jesuit Antonio Spadaro.
Fernández stressed that the Pope “learned many things” during his hospitalization and that his pontificate could enter a “new phase”. “Who knows what he’ll pull out of his hat!” he said. The cardinal revealed that the hospitalization was emotionally difficult for Francis, who resisted being treated in hospital and had to be convinced by close friends whom the cardinal did not name. “They told him: ‘You have to go, otherwise we’ll cut off this relationship’.”
According to Fernández, “it’s not easy for him to follow medical advice”, as he has a constant desire to give of himself. The Pope wants to use the time he has left to continue serving, rather than just focusing on his own recovery. “I’m sure that something very beautiful will come out of this experience… it will be Pope Francis’ surprises.”
The big question now is how this new phase of the pontificate will unfold. His presence at Holy Week is still uncertain, as doctors want to ensure his full recovery before any public engagement. The scheduled meeting with King Charles of England on April 8 has been canceled. Even so, Francis remains determined to continue his mission, adapting to the challenges imposed by his age and now by his fragile health.
The Jubilee Year, dedicated to the theme “Pilgrims of Hope”, foresees a series of events with the Holy Father’s presence. Certainly, the team of Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for the New Evangelization, will have to adapt to the Pope’s absence on many of these occasions. Given his fragile health, it is difficult to imagine that Francis will be able to fulfill the schedule of visits, speeches and celebrations planned for the coming months.
The same goes for apostolic journeys. The Pope has already visited around 60 countries and has always made these trips an opportunity to convey messages and make symbolic gestures that have marked his pontificate. However, his presence at the next World Youth Day in South Korea in 2027 is even more unlikely. Will he be physically able to withstand the strenuous commitments of this event? Will he have the strength to face another international marathon? The possibility of resignation seems remote. In addition to Cardinal Fernández, other prelates have dismissed the possibility: Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, called the speculation “useless”; Bishop Giuseppe Baturi, Secretary General of the Italian bishops, considered it “disrespectful” and Bishop Francisco César García Magán, spokesman for the Spanish bishops, said that there are no conditions that justify resignation.
In addition, the convocation of an Ecclesial Assembly in 2028 and the implementation of the final document of the Synod on Synodality under the supervision of the Vatican also testify that Francis wants to move forward while his strength lasts.
It is more likely that this year we will see Pope Francis at a quieter pace, possibly more focused on internal and intellectual issues, appearing less publicly, with a schedule less loaded with speeches and trips. This period of convalescence may allow the Pope to review Vatican diplomacy, complete the reform of the Roman Curia and deepen his magisterium through documents rather than public pronouncements.
However, for Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Astana, Kazakhstan, Francis should use this time to “retract” and issue a document that clarifies the errors disseminated during his pontificate. In a recent video, the prelate asked for prayers that the Pope will have the humility and courage to correct statements and acts that, according to him, have “weakened the clarity” of the Catholic faith over the last 12 years. Schneider argues that the Pope, as spiritual father of the Church, should reaffirm the truth of the faith and take advantage of the time he has left to eliminate theological ambiguities that have caused confusion among the faithful.
It is not known whether this appeal has reached the Pope’s ears. However, if Francis has already found it difficult to follow the advice of his doctors, it seems unlikely that he will follow Schneider’s.
By Rafael Tavares
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