Pope Francis, 84, continues to recover and will return home "as soon as possible" from hospital following surgery on his colon, the Vatican said on Tuesday.
-The Holy Father is continuing his planned treatment and rehabilitation, which will allow him to return to the Vatican as soon as possible- spokesman Matteo Bruni said.
The pope was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on July 4 after suffering from a type of diverticulitis, an inflammation of pockets that develop in the lining of the intestine.
The Vatican initially said he would be in hospital for about a week, and the pope led the Angelus prayer from his hospital window on Sunday.
On Monday, Bruni said he would stay for a "few more days".
-Among the many patients he (the pope) has met during these days, he addressed a special thought to those who are bedridden and cannot return home- Bruni said on Tuesday.
Francis is in the same suite used by Pope John Paul II, who also lead the Angelus prayer from there.
The Argentine pontiff temporarily ran a fever last week but a chest and abdomen scan and other tests revealed no particular abnormalities.