CNA Newsroom, Mar 23, 2025 / 07:04 am
Shortly before his expected release on Sunday, Pope Francis made a brief appearance from a fifth-floor balcony of the Gemelli Clinic in Rome to a crowd of faithful gathered outside the hospital.
The moment marked his first public engagement in weeks. Waving and giving a “thumps-up” before blessing the faithful gathered outside Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, the pontiff briefly thanked one well-wisher for bringing flowers for the occasion.

After the short interaction, the Holy Father returned to his hospital room.
The pontiff, scheduled to be discharged on March 23, prepared a written message published by the Vatican while briefly appearing at approximately noon to greet the faithful and impart his blessing.
“During this long period of hospitalization, I have had the opportunity to experience the patience of the Lord, which I also see reflected in the tireless care of doctors and healthcare workers, as well as in the attentiveness and hopes of the patients’ families,” Francis noted.
“This confident patience, anchored in God’s love that never fails, is truly necessary for our lives, especially to face the most difficult and painful situations.”
In his written address, the pope reflected on this Third Sunday of Lent’s Gospel reading about the barren fig tree, drawing parallels between the patient farmer in the parable and God’s merciful approach to humanity.
On the situation in Gaza, the pope called for a ceasefire and “that weapons be silenced immediately; and that there be the courage to resume dialogue, so that all hostages may be freed and a definitive ceasefire reached.”
Francis emphasized that the humanitarian situation in Gaza “is once again extremely serious and requires the urgent commitment of the warring parties and the international community.”
On a more positive note, the Holy Father expressed satisfaction with diplomatic progress in the Caucasus region.
“I am pleased, however, that Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on the final text of the Peace Agreement,” he said. “I hope that it will be signed as soon as possible and can thus contribute to establishing a lasting peace in the South Caucasus.”
Convalescing in Casa Santa Marta
Prior to his window appearance, Pope Francis briefly met with leadership from the Catholic University and Gemelli Polyclinic, including Rector Elena Beccalli, Foundation President Daniele Franco, Medicine Faculty Dean Antonio Gasbarrini, Vice President Giuseppe Fioroni, Director General Marco Elefanti, General Ecclesiastical Assistant Monsignor Claudio Giuliodori, and Professor Sergio Alfieri, who heads the medical team overseeing the pontiff's care, along with Dr. Andrea Cambieri, medical director of the Gemelli Polyclinic Foundation.
The Vatican announced on Saturday that the pontiff would be discharged from Gemelli Hospital on Sunday, following more than a month of treatment. Hospital officials indicated he will continue convalescing at his apartment in Casa Santa Marta for at least two months and will require ongoing oxygen therapy during his convalescence.
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Doctors said at a Saturday press conference that Francis would undergo a “protected discharge” and would “still have to carry out” treatment “for a long time.”
AC Wimmer (刘威猛) is the News Editor for Europe and Asia at EWTN News. The multilingual Australian, raised in Bavaria and South Africa, served as editor-in-chief of several news media outlets. A graduate in Philosophy and Chinese Studies from the University of Melbourne, the veteran journalist is a former Honorary Research Fellow in Communications at his alma mater and served on the Board of Caritas in Munich.