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Pope Francis will spend several days in the hospital as he undergoes abdominal surgery, the Vatican confirmed Wednesday, the latest in a string of health issues for the 86-year-old pope—though he’s still expected to keep a busy schedule this summer.
Pope Francis arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square at The Vatican on June 7.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Key Facts
Pope Francis will be hospitalized for several days to have a “laparotomy and abdominal wall plastic surgery with prosthesis” to treat a “recurrent, painful and worsening” intestinal issue and hernia, the Vatican said in a statement quoted by the Associated Press after visiting the hospital for tests Tuesday.
He left the Vatican for the Gemelli hospital in Rome around 11 a.m. Wednesday, the AP reports—with Sky News reporting he “appeared in good spirits” as he departed—and the Vatican said he had two meetings in the morning before going to the hospital.
Francis’ “stay at the health facility will last several days to allow for the normal post-operative course and full functional recovery,” the Vatican said.
The pope previously had 13 inches of his large intestine removed in July 2021, and told the AP in a January interview that the diverticulosis—small bulges in the intestinal wall—that initially prompted the surgery had “returned.”
Francis said he had a poor reaction to the anesthesia from his 2021 surgery, which the AP notes resulted in him refusing to have knee surgery for a ligament issue, meaning he likely had “little choice” but to undergo the abdominal surgery.
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What To Watch For
Francis is expected to still maintain a busy travel schedule this summer despite his recent health issues, the AP notes, including a visit to Portugal in August for World Youth Day and a trip to Mongolia beginning August 31.
Key Background
Francis was last hospitalized in late March due to a pulmonary infection that affected his breathing, staying at the hospital for several days before leaving and joking that he was “still alive.” He then took a day off of work in late May due to a fever. The 86-year-old pope’s health has been a frequent source of speculation in recent years given his advanced age, sparking rumors last year that he planned to resign that Francis dismissed as “court gossip.” “I’m in good health. For my age, I’m normal,” Francis told the AP in a January interview. “I might die tomorrow, but it’s under control. I’m in good health.”
Further Reading
Pope Francis Hospitalized In Rome (Forbes)
Pope jokes he’s ‘still alive’ as he leaves hospital (CNN)
Pope Dismisses Resignation Rumors As ‘Court Gossip’ (Forbes)
Pope Francis returns to work after taking day off with fever (The Guardian)
