Pope Francis will be discharged from hospital tomorrow.

Pope Francis will be discharged tomorrow, Sunday, March 23, from the Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome. The news was announced this afternoon during a brief press conference in the lobby of the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital.

"The good news everyone is waiting for is that tomorrow the Holy Father will be discharged and return to Santa Marta.""The Pope was also present at the Vatican City State Hospital, where he was admitted to the Vatican City State Hospital," announced Sergio Alfieri, director of the Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences at the Gemelli Polyclinic and head of the medical team that has followed the Pope since his admission. He was accompanied by Luigi Carbone, deputy director of the Directorate of Health and Hygiene of Vatican City State and the Holy Father's medical representative, and Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office.

"The Holy Father has been in stable clinical condition for at least two weeks," Alfieri explained. "He has been prescribed partial continuation of his drug therapy, which he must continue to take orally for an extended period, and—very importantly—he has been recommended a period of rest, convalescence, of at least two months."».

This is, in short, a "protected discharge," Carbone emphasized, adding: "He will return to Santa Marta for convalescence. We have assessed his needs and, as with all 88-year-old patients discharged after bilateral pneumonia, we have considered the care the Holy Father requires, such as the administration of oxygen as long as he needs it and 24-hour assistance, something that the Vatican's Directorate of Health and Hygiene can safely guarantee, even in emergency situations. We have prepared to welcome him home."

Alfieri also offered a brief summary of the Pope's 36-day hospitalization, which began on February 14. "At the time of his admission to the Gemelli Polyclinic, the Holy Father was suffering from acute respiratory failure caused by a polymicrobial infection," Alfieri said. "There were viruses, bacteria, and fungi that caused severe bilateral pneumonia, which required combined drug treatment."

During his hospitalization, he continued, "the Holy Father's clinical condition went through two very critical episodes, and his life was in danger. Pharmacological treatments, high-flow oxygen, and noninvasive mechanical ventilation allowed for a slow improvement that helped him overcome the most serious phases. The Pope was never intubated; he always remained conscious, oriented, and present."