POPE Francis has been discharged from Gemelli Hospital and gave thanks to all the affectionate prayers and messages he received during his hospital stay.
“I thank all those who have been close to me with prayer and affection during my hospital stay,” he said in a Tweet.
“Let us not forget to pray for the sick and for those who assist them.”
Holy See Press Office director Matteo Bruni said before returning to the Vatican, Pope Francis “went to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major where, before the icon of the Virgin Mary Salus Populi Romani, he expressed his gratitude for the success of his surgery and offered a prayer for all the sick, especially those he had met during his stay in hospital”.
Pope Francis returned to Casa Santa Marta shortly before midday.
His scheduled colon surgery and hospitalisation was covered by international media for the last week.
On Sunday afternoon, Mr Bruni issued a statement that instantly became breaking news that the pope had left his Casa Santa Marta residence and headed to the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital for a “scheduled surgery”.
Finally, close to midnight the Press Office issued the first medical bulletin noting that the Pope “has reacted well” to the operation due to a “diverticular stenosis of the sigma”.
His hospitalization marked the beginning of a week in which the eyes of the world moved from Saint Peter’s Square to the tenth floor of Gemelli Hospital.
Crowds began to gather outside the hospital, looking up out at the 10th floor windows out of curiosity, but also to accompany in prayer Pope Francis convalescing in the rooms up there.
Among the first to wish the Pope a speedy recovery are Patriarch Bartholomew I and the Imam of al-Azhar Al Tayyeb.
Soon from every part of the world, especially via social media, messages full of affection flooded in.
Among the most expressive ones were cards from children hospitalized in Pediatric Oncology, a department located in front of the pope’s recovery rooms.
Pope Francis visited with some of them on Monday afternoon and blessed them together with their families and the hospital staff.
