Pope Francis on Sunday issued an impassioned plea for an end to deadly conflict around the globe – including in Gaza and Ukraine – after being released from hospital following treatment for pneumonia in both his lungs.
The pontiff greeted crowds of well-wishers from the balcony of his room at Gemelli hospital in Rome, his first public appearance in more than five weeks, before returning to his home in Santa Marta, near St Peter’s Basilica.
His medical team revealed that his life was in danger on two occasions and oxygen was administered to ease life-threatening conditions.
He later thanked the public for their support during his health battle and urged them to join him in prayers for global peace.
"You have continued to pray for me with so much patience and perseverance: thank you so much," Pope Francis wrote on X.
"I also pray for you. Let us pray together for peace, especially in martyred Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo."
Pope Francis has been told to rest for two months after being discharged from hospital.
“He is in a stable clinical condition with a prescription to partially continue drug therapy and with a convalesce and rest period for at least two months,” Dr Sergio Alfieri, director of Gemelli Hospital’s medical and surgical sciences department, told a news conference.
Pope Francis, 88, was treated for an acute respiratory tract infection and bilateral pneumonia and doctors said the decision to discharge him followed steady progress.
Two critical episodes
His appearance on Sunday was the first in his longest spell in hospital in 12 years as head of the Roman Catholic Church.
His medical team told of four acute respiratory attacks, of which two were critical episodes.
“During his hospitalisation the Holy Father’s clinical conditions presented two very critical episodes in which the Holy Father’s life was in danger,” Dr Alfieri said. “The pharmacological therapy, the administration of high flow oxygen and assisted mechanical ventilation recorded as low but progressive improvement bringing the Holy Father out of the most critical episodes.”
The doctor emphasised that Pope Francis was given non-invasive mechanical ventilation, administered high-flow oxygen therapy with a mask to help him breathe but had not been intubated during his hospital stay.
“The Holy Father was never intubated and he always remained alert and orientated,” he said.
Temporary voice loss
He was admitted to hospital last month with a diagnosis of a complex bacterial and viral respiratory tract infection and then with pneumonia in both lungs.
Doctors said the pope still has some trouble speaking but temporary loss of voice was normal for patients who required supplemental oxygen.
“When you have bilateral pneumonia, your lungs and respiratory muscles are in some difficulty, you lose your voice a bit,” Dr Alfieri said. “Especially for older patients, you need some time for your voice to come back to what it was.”
People gather daily to pray for his health outside the hospital in Rome and in St Peter’s Square.
During his stay at hospital, he has sent messages to Christians expressing gratitude for their love and prayers.
In one message, he expressed “great joy” for their support, faith and unity, according to the Vatican news media.
Thanking people for their prayers, he wrote, “Recently, I have very much felt the support that comes from your closeness … particularly the prayers which you have been accompanying me with.
“Even though I can’t be with you physically, I want to express my great joy in knowing that you are united to me and among yourselves.”
Doctors have said Pope Francis will continue with his rehabilitation therapy at home and would later be likely to resume normal activities.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Saturday's results
Brighton 1-1 Leicester City
Everton 1-0 Cardiff City
Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace
Watford 0-3 Liverpool
West Ham United 0-4 Manchester City
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Empty Words
By Mario Levrero
(Coffee House Press)
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
UAE squad
Rohan Mustafa (captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km
Who is Allegra Stratton?
- Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
- Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
- In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
- The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
- Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
- She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
- Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
It
Director: Andres Muschietti
Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor
Three stars
Match info
Australia 580
Pakistan 240 and 335
Result: Australia win by an innings and five runs
