The Holy Father will meet with Hungarian President Katalin Novák and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.Continue reading
Pope Francis left the hospital on Saturday after recently being treated for bronchitis, news agencies reported. The Pope also confirmed to a correspondent of the Italian newspaper La Repubblica that he would visit Hungary at the end of April, as planned, reports Hirado.hu.
The 86-year-old head of the Catholic Church was admitted to the Gemelli clinic on Wednesday with respiratory problems. According to his doctors, his condition quickly improved after a course of intravenous antibiotics and he was able to return to his Vatican residence after just three days.
Before leaving, Pope Francis thanked the director of the clinic and all the doctors and nurses who looked after him. He also spoke and prayed with a couple whose daughter had died in the hospital the night before, and “signed” the cast of a boy who was in the institution with a broken arm.
On Saturday, the head of the Catholic Church was met by a motorcade outside the hospital, and when the convoy stopped, he got out of the car he was traveling in, and, leaning on a cane, walked independently, greeting those who had gathered to see him and made statements to journalists. As he said, he was not feeling well earlier, but he was not frightened, and as everyone can see, he is still alive.
According to a statement issued by the Vatican,
Pope Francis will be present at the Easter Holy Week celebrations and he would like to personally read the Easter Sunday message and recite the Urbi et Orbi blessing for the city of Rome and the world.”
The Pope’s hospitalization caused great alarm and concern in the Catholic world, but his speedy recovery was welcomed by all. With only a few weeks to go before Pope Francis visits Hungary, the Hungarian visit could have been jeopardized if His Holiness had more serious problems. However, as he himself confirmed to a journalist from La Repubblica, the visit is going ahead as originally planned, and he will visit Hungary from April 28-30, where he will give a mass in Kossuth Square in front of the parliament building, and meet with the country’s leaders and young people, among others.
Featured photo via Twitter
