By Christopher White
Rome, June 7, 2023: Pope Francis on June 7 successfully underwent a three-hour intestinal surgery that the Vatican described as taking place without complications.
The 86-year-old Pope Francis entered the hospital earlier in the day for a previously unannounced operation for an incarcerated incisional hernia.
The Pope arrived at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital before noon after making a surprise visit there the day before, on June 6, for what the Vatican described as clinical tests.
The Holy See Press Office announced the June 7 surgery in a communique that was released after the Pope’s weekly audience, stating that the pontiff is expected him to remain in the hospital for several days. The Vatican has currently canceled all of the Pope’s scheduled activities until June 18.
This marks the third time Pope Francis has been hospitalized overnight during his 10-year pontificate.
In July 2021, Francis underwent intestinal surgery where he had half of his colon removed due to a condition known as “stenotic diverticulitis,” which leads to inflammation inside the intestine. At the time, Francis spent 11 days in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital before returning to the Vatican.
During a January 2023 interview with The Associated Press, the Pope revealed that the bulges in his intestinal wall had returned, though at the time he did not mention the possibility of a follow-up operation.
Despite a brief three-night hospitalization in April for bronchitis, the Pope’s major health difficulties over the last year have stemmed from limited mobility, primarily related to a bone fracture in his knee. Last year, he said he did not want to have the knee operated on due to the side effects he experienced from anesthesia during his July 2021 hospitalization.
During his continued convalescence, Pope Francis is expected to remain in a special 10th-floor suite at the hospital specifically built for popes.
Source: National Catholic Reporter/vanticannews.va