Italian
This morning, Pope Francis left the Gemelli Hospital to return to Casa Santa Marta. Before that, he stopped at Santa Maria Maggiore. Greetings from the entire family of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart.
VATICAN CITY. Great joy, affection, and emotion filled the hearts of the many faithful present in the courtyard of the Gemelli Hospital this morning as they virtually embraced Pope Francis as soon as he appeared on the fifth floor of the hospital. His greeting to the crowd with a weak voice: “Thank you all!” (photo by Agenzia Romano Siciliani). His tired face, hands raised to bless, and then his gaze turned to Mrs. Carmela Mancuso, who was holding a bouquet of flowers. These were the Pope’s words: “I see this lady with the yellow flowers, she is good!”. And so, after nearly forty days of hospitalization, he left the hospital to return to Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican.
However, before returning, after his discharge from the hospital, Pope Francis made a very important gesture: he went to Santa Maria Maggiore and delivered flowers to His Eminence Cardinal Makrickas to be placed in front of the icon of the Virgin Salus Populi Romani.
From the Vatican Press Office, it was reported that in the morning, before appearing on the balcony of the fifth floor of the hospital to greet and give his blessing, Pope Francis briefly greeted the staff and leaders of the Catholic University and the Gemelli Hospital: the Rector of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Professor Elena Beccalli; the President of the Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic Foundation, Dr. Daniele Franco; also the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the Catholic University, Professor Antonio Gasbarrini; the Vice President of the Gemelli Polyclinic Foundation, Dr. Giuseppe Fioroni; the General Director of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Foundation IRCCS, Professor Marco Elefanti; the General Ecclesiastical Assistant of the Catholic University, H.E. Monsignor Claudio Giuliodori, and Professor Sergio Alfieri, Director of the Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences of the Polyclinic and Head of the medical team of the Gemelli; the healthcare director of the Gemelli Polyclinic Foundation, Dr. Andrea Cambieri.
“On the occasion of the resignation of the Holy Father, the family of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and the Foundation Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCSS wish to extend to Pope Francis their heartfelt wishes for His recovery.” These words were expressed by Elena Beccalli, Rector of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, and Daniele Franco, President of the Foundation Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, in a statement released just now. At the same time, they thanked him for the incomparable example he provided during his hospital stay. “Many sick people have seen their own suffering reflected in the one that Pope Francis chose to share and not hide, confirming the profound humanity that characterizes all of His teachings.”
If the Church is truly called to be a field hospital, as Pope Francis has said, the Policlinico Gemelli and the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery connected to it can only rejoice for having been able to contribute to the healing of the Holy Father. “Since his admission on February 14th, the doctors and nurses have exemplarily expressed their professionalism, dedication, and humanity, in the spirit of that vocation for care passionately described by Pope Francis himself. Our most heartfelt and sincere gratitude goes to them for providing care of the highest quality, as they do daily with all their patients.”
The note from the leaders of this important scientific and healthcare institution continued. The thanks and warm greetings from Professor Becalli and Professor Franco on behalf of the entire community of the Catholic University and the Gemelli Hospital, addressed to the Holy Father, concluded with a feeling of complete closeness: “It is with these feelings of joy and filial devotion that the communities of the Hospital and the University express their gratitude to Pope Francis and assure Him of their closeness and support in prayer.”
