Diagnosed with double pneumonia, Pope Francis leaves Rome hospital after 5 weeks

Pope Francis has appeared at the window of a hospital in Rome for the first time since he was admitted on February 14.

The 88-year-old Pope will be discharged on Sunday and will need at least two months of rest at the Vatican, doctors treating him said, writes the BBC . 

Over the past five weeks, he presented "two very critical episodes" where "his life was in danger," said Dr Sergio Alfieri, one of the doctors treating the Pope.

Pope Francis was never intubated and always remained alert and oriented, Dr. Alfieri said. The pope has not fully recovered, but he no longer has pneumonia and is now in a stable condition, according to his doctors.

"Today we are happy to say that tomorrow he will be home," Dr Alfieri told reporters on Saturday.

The Pope will offer a blessing from his window at the Gemelli hospital on Sunday - the first time he will appear in public since being hospitalized - before returning to his Vatican residence.

Dr Alfieri said that patients with double pneumonia lose their voice a little and "especially in the elderly it will take time for your voice to return to normal."

If the trend of improvement continues, doctors say, the Pope will be able to return to work as soon as possible.

The Vatican had said on Friday that the Pope had seen some improvements in his breathing and mobility.

The pope has only been seen in public once since being hospitalized, in a photograph released by the Vatican last week, which showed him praying in a hospital chapel.

Earlier this month, an audio recording of Pope Francis speaking in his native Spanish was played in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City.

His voice was breathless as he thanked the Catholic faithful for their prayers.

Pope Francis has spent 12 years as leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

He has suffered a number of health problems throughout his life, including having part of his lung removed at the age of 21, making him more prone to infections.