John Paul II back in the Vatican this evening

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Joaquin Navarro Valls, director of the Vatican Press Agency, told reporters that "the Holy Father, in agreement with the attending physicians, will return to the Vatican this evening, where he will continue his convalescence".

Rumours about the Pope's possible return to the Apostolic Palace after more than two weeks since undergoing throat surgery had begun circulating in earnest this morning among the reporters waiting outside the Gemelli hospital.

The tracheotomy that was performed on the Pontiff involves the surgeon making a hole in the air passage to allow the patient to breathe and passing a tube through the hole, down the throat and into the main airway at the top of the lungs.

Following the operation the Pope began re-education therapy to regain the use of his voice.

Although many thought he might never be able to speak again, he quickly recovered his voice. He showed this today when, unexpectedly, he greeted the faithful in his own voice and blessed them from the window of his hospital room.

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