Pope Francis has been discharged from hospital after surviving a life-threatening bout of pneumonia.
He appeared on a public balcony to bless the crowd in his first public outing since he was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital.
The Pope is now on his way to the Vatican – where crowds were waiting for his arrival.
“I see this woman with the yellow flowers. Brava!” a tired-looking Francis said from the hospital balcony before he was discharged.
He waved, gave a thumbs up – and a weak sign of the cross before being wheeled back inside.
Chants of “Viva il papa!” and “Papa Francesco” could be heard from the crowd, which included patients who had been wheeled outside just to catch his brief appearance.
The blessing came shortly before he was released to return home to the Vatican for a two-month period of rest and convalescence.
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