The doctors spoke at a hastily called press conference on Saturday evening in the hospital atrium, their first in-person update on the pontiff’s condition in a month. They said they were discharging Francis after he registered two weeks of stability and increasing progress in his recovery.

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“The Holy Father would have wanted to go home a few days ago, as even he realised he was improving, breathing better, and that he could work longer. But I have to say he was an exemplary patient,” said Dr Sergio Alfieri, who co-ordinated Francis’ medical team at the hospital. “He listened to the suggestions from me, Dr Carbone and the rest of the team.”

Doctors provided details on the severity of the infection and Alfieri noted that not all patients who developed such a severe case of double pneumonia survived, much less be released from the hospital.

“When he was in really bad shape, it was difficult that he was in good spirits,” Alfieri said. “But one morning we went to listen to his lungs and we asked him how he was doing. When he replied, ‘I’m still alive’ we knew he was OK and had gotten his good humour back.”

Alfieri confirmed that Francis was still having trouble speaking due to the damage to his lungs and the time he spent on supplemental oxygen and ventilation. But he said such problems were normal and predicted his voice would return.

“When you have a bilateral pneumonia, your lungs get damaged and the respiratory muscles are in difficulty. You lose your voice a bit, like when you speak too high,” Alfieri said. “As for all patients, young or old but especially older ones, you need time for it to come back as it was.”

Alert and co-operative

The Argentine pope, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli after a bout of bronchitis worsened.

Doctors first diagnosed a complex bacterial, viral and fungal respiratory tract infection and soon thereafter, pneumonia in both lungs. Blood tests showed signs of anaemia, low blood platelets and the onset of kidney failure, all of which later resolved after two blood transfusions.

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The most serious setbacks began on February 28, when Francis experienced an acute coughing fit and inhaled vomit, requiring the use of a non-invasive mechanical ventilation mask to help him breathe. He suffered two more respiratory crises a few days later, which required doctors to manually aspirate “copious” amounts of mucus, at which point he began sleeping with the ventilation mask at night to help his lungs clear the accumulation of fluids.

At no point did he lose consciousness, and doctors reported he always remained alert and co-operative.

Over the past two weeks, he has stabilised and registered slight improvements. He no longer needs to wear the ventilation mask at night, and is cutting back his reliance on high flows of supplemental oxygen during the day. Doctors said the pope, who uses a wheelchair, had probably lost some weight during his hospital stay.

At his home in the Santa Marta hotel, next to St Peter’s Basilica, Francis will have access to supplemental oxygen and 24-hour medical care as needed, though Carbone said he hoped Francis would progressively need less and less supplemental oxygen.

Francis will continue to take oral medication for several months to treat the fungal infection in his lungs.

Alfieri said it was actually safer for him to continue his recovery and rehabilitation at the Vatican since hospitals “are the worst place to convalesce because it’s the place where you can catch the most infections”.

The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, declined to confirm any upcoming events, including a scheduled audience on April 8 with King Charles III or Francis’ participation in Easter services at the end of the month. But Carbone said he hoped Francis might be well enough to travel to Turkey at the end of May to participate in an important ecumenical anniversary.

with Trisha Thomas and Giada Zampano

AP, Reuters

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