Pope Francis has appeared at the window of the hospital in Rome for the first time since being admitted on 14 February.
The 88-year-old pontiff was discharged minutes later and doctors say he will need at least two months of rest at the Vatican.
During the past five weeks, he presented “two very critical episodes” where his “life was in danger”, Dr Sergio Alfieri, one of the doctors treating the Pope, said.
Pope Francis was never intubated and always remained alert and oriented, Dr Alfieri said. The Pope is not completely healed, but no longer has pneumonia and is now in a stable condition, according to his doctors.
Dr Alfieri said that patients with double pneumonia lose their voice a little and “especially in the elderly, it will take time for your voice to return to normal”.
On Friday, Cardinal Victor Fernandez had said “high-flow oxygen dries everything out” and as a result the Pope “needs to relearn how to speak”, Reuters had reported.
If the trend of improvement continues, doctors said, the Pope would be able to return to work as soon as possible.
