Pope Francis (86) has been released from the hospital. According to "Bild", the head of the church joked with the journalists after the dismissal: "I'm still alive." He also announced that he would attend Mass in St. Peter's Square on Palm Sunday. After his release, Francis was first driven to the Roman basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where he prayed in front of the Salus Populi Romani image of Mary.

The head of the church was surprisingly admitted to the Gemelli Clinic in Rome on Wednesday. A Vatican spokesman had already given the all-clear on Thursday and announced his dismissal. The dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, had already announced that Francis would be present at important services around Easter.

Francis had been diagnosed with infectious bronchitis. Antibiotic therapy seems to have worked. The Pope also used his hospital stay to visit the children in the cancer ward. There he distributed sweets and books and baptized a boy.

The Argentine has long complained of health problems. In 2021, the 86-year-old also underwent bowel surgery at the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital in Rome. Because of persistent knee problems, Francis has also been leaning on a cane or sitting in a wheelchair for months. At the age of only 21, the Pope had to have part of his right lung removed after suffering from severe pneumonia.