Pope Francis has left hospital to return to the Vatican after being treated for bronchitis, quipping to journalists before being driven away: “I’m still alive.”
The pope, 86, was taken to Rome’s Gemelli hospital three days ago after complaining of breathing difficulties. He had responded well to an infusion of antibiotics, his medical team has said.
“I wasn’t frightened, I’m still alive,” he told reporters in a lighthearted comment outside the hospital before he left.
The pope, who marked the 10th anniversary of his pontificate in March, has suffered a number of ailments in recent years.
Francis got out of his car before leaving left the hospital grounds, using a walking stick to support himself.
He greeted wellwishers and talked briefly to waiting reporters, confirming that he would preside over the Palm Sunday service in St. Peter’s Square and give his usual weekly address to the faithful.
Before getting back into the car, Francis embraced a sobbing mother whose young daughter had died overnight in the hospital, and then prayed with both the parents.
He also signed the plaster cast of a young boy with a broken arm and waved from the window of his car as he drove away.
Asked by reporters if he had been afraid during his hospital stay, the pope said: “No, afraid no.”
He said: “In a hospital there is a lot of heroism, lots of tenderness for patients. You know sick people, we are capricious. Capriciousness comes with illness. You need to be patient.”
He praised the staff at the Gemelli. “I went to the children’s ward and saw with what tenderness they took care of the children,” he said.
“Now I need to sleep for four days,” he joked, after answering the various questions.
The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, confirmed on Friday that Francis was expected to take part in this weekend’s service for Palm Sunday – a major event in the church calendar that kicks off Easter week celebrations.
Holy Week, as it is known, includes a busy schedule of rituals and ceremonies that can be physically exhausting, including a Good Friday night-time procession by the Colosseum in Rome.
The dean of the college of cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, has said a cardinal will help the pope during the week’s celebrations and take care of altar duties.
A similar arrangement was put in place last year, when the pope sat to one side during some Easter events due to persistent knee pain, leaving it to senior cardinals to lead the masses.
