POPE FRANCIS INTENDS to appear at his window at Rome’s Gemelli hospital tomorrow in what will be his first public appearance since he was hospitalised last month.
The Vatican said the 88-year-old pontiff plans to appear at the window of his apartment in the hospital shortly after 12pm (11am Irish time) to greet the faithful and “impart his blessing”.
The Argentine pope has been in hospital since 14 February suffering from pneumonia in both lungs, but the Vatican has reported recent progress after earlier worries that his life could be at risk.
On Wednesday, it said his condition was “improving” and that he had suspended the use of an oxygen mask.
But the press office later cautioned that suspension of the oxygen mask did not mean it could not be reintroduced further down the line, and added that Francis’s discharge from hospital was “not imminent”.
It added that the pontiff’s pneumonia has not been “eliminated”, but was “under control”.
Last week, the Vatican released the first picture of Francis since his hospitalisation, showing him celebrating Mass inside his private chapel in the hospital.
The pope’s illness and long spell in hospital has raised questions over who might lead the busy schedule of religious events leading up to Easter, the holiest period in the Christian calendar.
The Vatican’s press office on Wednesday said that no definite decisions had been taken yet in that regard.
Yesterday, the Vatican chief of staff, Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra said that Francis is “recovering well”.
Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra told The Associated Press at a book launch that he had found Francis in good humour and serene during the three times he has visited him at the Gemelli hospital.
Pena Parra visited Francis on 24 February, 2 March 2 and 9 March along with the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the only Vatican officials who have visited him aside from his personal secretaries.
“I found him well, serene, in good humour, and — just like him — tough with the desire to go forward,” he said.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez said that “a new stage” was opening in Francis’s 12-year pontificate.
Cardinal Fernandez, the Argentine theologian whom Francis brought in as the Vatican’s doctrine chief, said that he had been in touch with Francis since he was taken hospitalised and was heartened that he had stabilised.
“He is a man of surprises, who will surely have learned so many things in this month and he’ll pull who knows what out of the hat,” he said.
“So even knowing that this has been a very heavy effort for him, a difficult time, I know it will be fruitful for the church and for the world.”
He provided no timeframe on when Francis might be released, but ruled out any thought that he might resign.
He said that Francis needed rehabilitation therapy to help him regain strength to speak after so many weeks on non-invasive mechanical ventilation and supplemental oxygen.