Pope out of danger, talk turns to return home

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis was reported to be in good spirits Tuesday after the Vatican declared he was out of danger and could even be discharged in the near future after almost one month in hospital with pneumonia.

The 88-year-old head of the Catholic Church has been in Rome's Gemelli hospital since 14 February with pneumonia in both lungs and has suffered several respiratory crises that sparked real fear for his life.

But after a week of steady improvements, the Holy See on Monday evening said his prognosis was no longer considered "reserved", or uncertain - meaning his life is no longer at risk.

His condition remains complex and he will require hospital treatment for "several more days", it added - with the implication that after that, he could go home to the Vatican.

A Vatican source on Tuesday denied, however, that preparations were under way for his return to the Santa Marta residence, indicating his discharge was not imminent.

Francis missed the start of the Lent religious period last week.

Speculation is now growing as to whether he may be able to participate in celebrations for Easter, the holiest period in the Christian calendar which culminates on 20 April.

Simonetta Maronge, an employee of the Santa Marta, urged the pope to come home soon.

"May he return to Santa Marta soon, we deeply love him and Santa Marta is empty without him," she told AFP outside the Gemelli hospital.

PRAYERS AND MEDITATION

The Vatican source said Tuesday that the pope's spirits were "good".

The press office said he had that morning prayed in the private chapel next to the papal suite on the 10th floor of the hospital, and that he had taken part remotely in spiritual exercises - prayers and meditation - in the Vatican.

The Vatican has been giving twice-daily updates on the pope's health, but these have been reduced since he has improved, and no formal bulletin was expected Tuesday evening.

"The improvements recorded in the previous days have been further consolidated, as confirmed by blood tests and clinical objectivity and the good response to pharmacological therapy," the Vatican said in a statement Monday evening.

"For these reasons, the doctors have decided today to lift their reserved prognosis."

It added that "given the complexity of the pope’s clinical picture and the severe infection present at the time of hospitalisation, it will still be necessary to continue pharmacological treatment in a hospital setting for several more days".

VIDEO GAMES

The pontiff has been doing some work off and on during his hospitalisation, making calls and having occasional visitors, the Vatican says.

One child treated in Rome's Bambino Gesu hospital, which is also run by the Vatican, sent him a message offering another way to pass the time.

"Dear Pope, I suggest you get someone to give you a PlayStation," young Alex wrote, according to pictures and drawings released by Bambino Gesu.

Pilgrims visiting Rome for the 2025 Jubilee holy year celebrations have been praying every night for the pope, while special services have been held in churches around the world.

Mimmo Laundando, an Italian pensioner who was at the Gemelli hospital on Tuesday, expressed the hopes of many that Francis would recover, saying he was sorely needed.

"I am hopeful, I think there is really a need for a pope like Francis for all of us, for the whole world," he said.

Laundando added that he had always dreamed of being the pontiff's chauffeur, adding: "Now I am here with the car with the idea that maybe if he needs to, I can drive him back."

Pope Francis will on Thursday mark 12 years as leader of the world's nearly 1.4 billion Catholics.

Even as he recovers, his hospitalisation - the longest and most serious of his papacy - has revived questions about his future.

The Jesuit has always held open the possibility of resigning like his predecessor, the German Benedict XVI, although he also insisted he had no intention of quitting.