Pope Francis will be discharged from the hospital on Sunday after more than a month of treatment for double pneumonia.
Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the head of the medical team, confirmed the pontiff’s stable condition in a press conference on Saturday.
“The Holy Father will return home tomorrow,” Alfieri announced, noting that the pope will continue a partial drug therapy and undergo a two-month recovery period.
On Sunday, Francis will make his first public appearance at the hospital’s balcony before returning to Casa Santa Marta, his residence since 2013.
He is expected to offer a blessing and greeting at the conclusion of Sunday’s Angelus prayer, a ritual he has not led for the past five weeks.
Though Francis has recovered from double pneumonia, not all infections have been cleared, according to Dr. Luigi Carbone, the Vatican’s vice-director of healthcare.
The pope’s voice is improving, but he will need additional time to regain full strength.
Catholics worldwide celebrated the news of his recovery, from Vatican City to Argentina, where Francis was born.
Worshippers in St. Peter’s Square gathered in joy, offering prayers of thanks.
“It’s a great joy for all of us,” said Richard Gundel, a worshipper in the square. In Buenos Aires, a church displayed a photo of the pope, with locals expressing deep emotional relief at the news.
This marks Francis’s longest hospitalization since his election in 2013.
Though absent in person, his presence was felt through messages and a recent photo showing him praying in the hospital chapel.
