Pope Francis was released from the hospital on March 23 after surviving a life-threatening case of pneumonia.
Francis, 88, made his first public appearance in five weeks on March 23 when he appeared on a balcony at Rome’s Gemelli hospital to bless a crowd of hundreds that had gathered to see him. Many chanted “Viva il papa!” and “Papa Francesco” as he looked down from above. The pope was then released to the Vatican, where he will undergo a two-month period of rehabilitation and convalescence.
