He’s probably heading home Saturday, according to the Vatican:
Pope Francis is expected to be discharged from hospital and return to the Vatican on Saturday, April 1, the director of the Vatican press office, Matteo Bruni, said today, March 31.
He added that the pope is also expected “to be present” at the Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, April 2.
Mr. Bruni said the pope’s return to the Vatican is expected following “the positive results of the last [medical] tests carried out [on him]” at the Gemelli Hospital this morning.
He said that the pope had a good day yesterday, March 30, “with a normal clinical course.” Francis continued to recover as the doctors expected from bronchitis thanks to the antibiotic therapy that they had prescribed for him.
Pope Francis visited the children’s oncological ward of the Gemelli Hospital this afternoon, March 31, greeted and blessed several children and baptised one of them – Miguel Angel ( Vatican media photos) pic.twitter.com/qMBshraiq4
— Gerard O’Connell (@gerryorome) March 31, 2023
Mr. Bruno also said, in a communication to the Vatican accredited media at midday, that “last evening, Pope Francis had dinner, eating a pizza, together with those who have assisted him in these days in hospital,” including the doctors, the nurses, the assistants and member of the Vatican police who protected him these past two days.
He said the pope had breakfast this Friday morning, March 31, “read the papers, and went back to work.”
In the afternoon, Pope Francis visited the children’s oncology ward at Gemelli Hospital and spent 30 minutes greeting and blessing children. He brought them gifts of rosary beads, chocolate eggs and a book about Jesus and baptized one of the children.
