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Pope Waves, Says ‘Thank You’ After Returning Home From Hospital
Pope Francis returned to the Vatican on Sunday after being discharged from the hospital where he spent more than five weeks being treated for breathing difficulties, but took time before leaving to thank well-wishers for their support.
Looking tired and worn, the pontiff sat in a wheelchair on one of the hospital balconies to say goodbye, waving softly to hundreds of people who had gathered below to wish the head of the Catholic Church a full recovery.
Pilgrims chanted his name at the first public sighting of Francis since February 14, when he was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital with breathing difficulties and a respiratory illness which developed into pneumonia.
“Thank you, everyone,” a weak-sounding Francis said into a microphone, as he waved his hands from his lap, doing an occasional thumbs-up sign.
“I can see that woman with yellow flowers, well done,” he said with a small smile, to laughter from the crowd.
Francis, who had bags under his eyes, was on the balcony for two minutes before being discharged from the hospital immediately afterwards.
He left by car wearing a cannula — a plastic tube tucked into his nostrils which delivers oxygen.
– ‘Joy’ –
Seeing Francis “just filled me and I think many of the people who are here with a great sense of joy,” Larry James Kulick, a bishop from Pennsylvania in the United States, told AFP.
READ ALSO: Pope Francis Stops Using Oxygen Mask, Vatican Says
“It was just a wonderful opportunity to see him and I think he responded so much to the people’s prayers and to all of the chanting,” he said at the Gemelli.
“I hope it lifted his spirits, I think it did.”
Domenico Papisca Marra, a 69-year-old Catholic from Reggio Calabria in southern Italy, said he had come as soon as he heard Francis would be appearing.
“I am really happy to have seen him… I am in really love with Pope Francis,” he said.
The pope, in a white Fiat 500 L, was driven past the Vatican and on to Santa Maria Maggiore, the Rome church where he stops to pray before and after trips.
He was then seen arriving back at the Vatican.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on X, formerly Twitter, that she was “happy” that Francis had returned home. She expressed her “affection and gratitude for his tireless commitment and his precious guidance”.
This was the pope’s fourth and longest hospital stay since his 2013 election.
Francis, who had part of one lung removed as a young man and lost weight in hospital, still faces a long recovery of at least two months.
READ: ‘A Priest Cannot Look At Such Things’ – Pope Francis Imposed TV Ban On Himself
The increasingly fragile state of Francis’s health has spurred speculation as to whether he could opt to step down and make way for a successor, as his predecessor Benedict XVI had done.
– ‘A period of rest’ –
The pope suffered repeat respiratory crises during his stay, leading doctors to perform bronchoscopies to remove secretions from his lungs and carry out a blood transfusion.
The seriousness of his condition was underlined by the release on March 6 of an audio recording of the pope in which — speaking in a weak and very breathless voice — he thanked the faithful praying for him.
Francis continued to do bits of work in hospital when possible, but his medical team has made it clear he will not be mingling with crowds or kissing babies soon.
“Further progress will take place at his home, because a hospital — even if this seems strange — is the worst place to recover because it’s where you can contract more infections,” one of his doctors, Sergio Alfieri, told reporters on Saturday.
“During the convalescence period he will not be able to take on his usual daily appointments,” he said.
– Questions over Easter –
Such restrictions are not expected to be easily borne by the Argentine pope, who previously carried out a packed schedule and took evident pleasure interacting with his flock.
READ ALSO: Pope Francis Leaves Hospital After Hernia Operation
Questions also remain over who might lead the busy schedule of religious events leading up to Easter — the holiest period in the Christian calendar.
Asked by reporters on Monday about speculation the pope could resign, Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin replied: “No, no, no. Absolutely not.”
At the most concerning stage of the pope’s hospitalisation, Francis spent several weeks on assisted breathing, with nasal tubes and an oxygen mask.
He twice suffered “very critical” moments during which his life was in danger but he remained conscious, his doctors said.
He was only declared out of danger after a month of treatment in Gemelli Hospital.
The pneumonia he suffered means that Francis will require physiotherapy to recover use of his voice.
“When you suffer bilateral pneumonia, your lungs are damaged and your respiratory muscles are also strained,” Alfieri said.
“It takes time for the voice to get back to normal.”
Headline
Strait Of Hormuz: Pakistan Thanks Trump For Pausing ‘Project Freedom’
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed gratitude to United States President Donald Trump for temporarily pausing ‘Project Freedom’, an initiative to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement posted on X, Sharif thanked Trump for pausing the “Project Freedom” mission, praising him for his courageous leadership and timely announcement.
According to him, Trump’s decision was made in response to requests from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other brotherly countries.
READ ALSO: Oil Prices Drop After Iran Reopens Strait Of Hormuz
He added that the pause would go a long way towards advancing regional peace, stability and reconciliation during the sensitive period.
“Pakistan remains firmly committed to supporting all efforts that promote restraint and a peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy.
“We are very hopeful that the current momentum will lead to a lasting agreement that secures durable peace and stability for the region and beyond,” Sharif said.
Headline
FG Summons S. African Envoy Over Rising Xenophobic Attacks On Nigerians
The Federal Government has summoned the Acting High Commissioner of South Africa in Abuja over renewed concerns about xenophobic attacks and protests targeting foreign nationals, including Nigerians, living in that country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the envoy is expected at its headquarters on Monday, May 4, 2026, for a high-level engagement aimed at addressing the growing tension and safeguarding bilateral relations between both countries.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the spokesperson for the Ministry, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said Nigeria would formally express its “profound concern” over recent developments in South Africa, particularly reports of harassment, violence, and destruction of property belonging to foreign nationals.
According to the ministry, the meeting will focus on ongoing demonstrations by various groups in South Africa and documented cases of attacks on Nigerians and their businesses in parts of the country.
READ ALSO:Group Condemns Tunisian Xenophobic, Racial Attacks On African Migrants
“The objective of this engagement is to formally convey the Nigerian Government’s profound concern regarding recent events that have the potential to impact the established cordial relations between Nigeria and South Africa,” the statement read.
It added that discussions would also address ongoing demonstrations by various groups within South Africa and documented instances of mistreatment of Nigerian citizens and attacks on their businesses.
The ministry acknowledged growing anger among Nigerians over reports of xenophobic violence but urged restraint, stressing that diplomatic engagement remained the preferred channel for resolution.
It assured Nigerians that the Federal Government was actively engaging South African authorities to ensure the protection of its citizens abroad.
READ ALSO:US Visa Adjudication Sparks Concerns Over Diplomatic Relations
“The Ministry is aware of the growing discontent among Nigerians concerning the treatment of their nationals in South Africa. Nevertheless, it implores the Nigerian public to remain calm and reiterates the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting the rights and well-being of Nigerian citizens residing in South Africa,” the statement added.
The latest diplomatic move comes amid renewed reports of xenophobic tensions in parts of South Africa, where foreign-owned businesses have occasionally been targeted during protests linked to unemployment and economic hardship.
South Africa has a history of xenophobic violence dating back to 2008, with subsequent flare-ups in 2015 and 2019, when mobs attacked migrants, looted shops, and displaced thousands of foreign nationals across several provinces.
In past incidents, Nigerians and other African nationals were among those affected, prompting strong diplomatic reactions from Abuja and calls for stronger protection of foreign communities.
While South African authorities have repeatedly condemned such attacks and deployed security forces to restore order during outbreaks of violence, concerns have persisted over recurring hostility in some communities.
Headline
Mississippi Man ‘Kills Mother, Flushes Her Remains Down Toilet’
A 29-year-old Mississippi man, Zachary Lavel Jackson Jr., has been charged with multiple offences, including first-degree murder, over the death of his mother, Lana Brown Bradley, after deputies responded to her Natchez home on April 4 following a missing person report from relatives.
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called to Bradley’s residence after her oldest son was unable to reach her the previous day.
Jackson was initially identified as a family member before investigators confirmed he was her son.
Sheriff Travis Patten described the case as deeply disturbing.“This is by far the most heinous crime that I’ve ever witnessed in my entire life. We weren’t out there that day; this was one of those things when we walked up.
READ ALSO:Bandits Kill Nine, Injure Eight In Fresh Attack On Zamfara Village
“This was one of those cases that you will never, ever forget in your life. This is the type of case that follows you home,” Patten told WJTV.
According to the sheriff, deputies noticed signs of a recent cleanup when they arrived at the home.
“As soon as they walked in the house, they could just see where somebody had been cleaning up, and they could smell chemicals all throughout the house.
“Floor was extremely slippery. And the older son said that this is just unusual for the youngest son to be cleaning up the house like that,” Patten explained.
READ ALSO:US Comedian Reggie Carroll Shot Dead In Mississippi
Jackson, the youngest son, was found in a bathroom, where deputies allegedly made a discovery that became central to the investigation.
“I can say what was in the toilet, and it was her flesh. He chopped her up in pieces and dismembered her in a way that whoever came looking for her would have to do their due diligence to find her, and that’s just what we did,” the sheriff said.
Authorities said Jackson allegedly placed parts of his mother’s body in a suitcase and attempted to dispose of other remains.
Jackson faces charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, mayhem and tampering with evidence.
READ ALSO:Popular Influencer Lola Shot
Investigators said Bradley, a retired teacher, had recently sought to evict her son from the home. Patten, citing family interviews, said Jackson was believed to be mentally unstable but also noted that his actions appeared deliberate.
“He had threatened her the day before because she was looking to have him evicted from the home.
“She was in the process of doing so and had just gone to court the day before to have him removed from the home,” Patten explained.
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