Pope Francis was discharged from Rome's Gemelli hospital after more than five weeks of hospitalization, DPA reported.
The pope made his first public appearance in five weeks on Monday, waving from the hospital balcony before leaving the facility, Reuters added. On February 14, 88-year-old Francis was admitted to hospital with a severe respiratory infection. The pope's doctors said yesterday that it would still take time for him to fully recover given his age and said they had advised him to rest for another two months at the Vatican. Francis appeared on the hospital balcony in a wheelchair, smiling and waving to people gathered outside. "Thank you everyone," he told the crowd. "I see the lady with the yellow flowers... How lovely she is," he added, giving a thumbs up, AFP reported. Francis has only been seen in public once in five weeks, in a photo released by the Vatican of him praying in a hospital chapel.