VATICAN CITY (RNS) Doctors removed a cast from Pope Benedict XVI’s right wrist on Friday (Aug. 21), five weeks after he fractured it during a fall.

A Vatican press release said that an x-ray showed the fracture had healed, but that Benedict would recover full use of his wrist after completing “an adequate program of rehabilitation.”

Benedict, 82, broke his wrist on July 17, while vacationing in the Alps in northwestern Italy, when he tripped and fell in the bathroom during the night. He felt well enough in the morning to celebrate Mass and eat breakfast before being taken to a nearby hospital.

The pope later said that his “guardian angel” had permitted the accident to occur, “certainly following superior orders.”

According to the Associated Press, Benedict speculated that “perhaps the Lord wanted to teach me more patience and humility, give me more time for prayer and meditation.”

Benedict, a prolific author who has been preparing a sequel to his 2007 bestseller “Jesus of Nazareth,” is right-handed and usually writes with a pen. Since the accident, he has used a voice recorder to dictate his thoughts.

The accident has also kept the pope from one of his favorite pastimes, playing classical music on the piano.