Pope Francis was released from Rome's Gemelli hospital on Sunday, March 23 after receiving treatment for long time.
Before leaving, he appeared in public for the first time in over five weeks, briefly waving to a crowd from his window at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.
The Pope was hospitalized on February 14 due to a severe respiratory infection that led to double pneumonia.
As per BBC, Dr Sergio Alfieri, one of his doctors revealed that the Pope experienced two critical episodes during his hospital stay where his life was at risk.
Despite the severity of his condition, the Pope was never placed on a ventilator and remained conscious and alert throughout.
Although he has not fully recovered, his pneumonia has cleared but he will need at least two months of rest at the Vatican to fully recover.
Related: Pope Francis shows major improvement, stops using oxygen mask
Now, he will return to his residence at the Vatican.
Dr Alfieri explained that double pneumonia affects a patient's voice and in elderly individuals it takes time for their voice to recover.
As per the reports, on Friday, Cardinal Victor Fernandez mentioned that "high-flow oxygen dries everything out," so the Pope needs to relearn how to speak.
He has been the leader of the Roman Catholic Church for nearly 12 years and has dealt with various health issues throughout his life, including the removal of part of one lung when he was 21.
Related: Pope Francis speaks from hospital bed amid critical health update
