Pope Francis will have abdominal surgery in Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Wednesday afternoon, the Vatican announced in a statement, adding that the 86-year-old pontiff will be hospitalised for several days.
The procedure is the latest in a string of health issues for the pope, who has presided over the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics for the last decade.
He arrived to Rome’s main hospital, a short drive from the Vatican, at about 1130 local time (0930 GMT).
The upcoming procedure was not mentioned by Francis during his weekly audience at the Vatican on Wednesday morning, where he looked to be in excellent spirits.
The Vatican statement said the operation was necessary to repair a laparocele, a hernia that sometimes forms over a scar, usually resulting from a previous surgery. It can also be caused by obesity or weakness of the abdominal wall muscles.
The pope’s medical team had decided in recent days that surgery, which will take place under a general anaesthetic, was required because the condition was causing painful intestinal occlusions.
Francis had spent around 40 minutes at the same Roman hospital on Tuesday having a pre-operation procedure.
Travel Plans Put in Place
Francis was treated for five days at the same hospital at the end of March with a lung infection, and last month he skipped audiences for a day due to a fever. The hospital has a special 10th-floor suite reserved for popes.
In July 2021, he had part of his colon removed in an operation aimed at addressing a painful bowel condition called diverticulitis. He said earlier this year that the condition had returned.
The pope also often uses a wheelchair or a cane to walk because of persistent knee pain. Last year, he didn’t want to have an operation on his knee because the general anaesthesia for his colon surgery had brought disagreeable side effects.
Despite his health issues, Francis maintains a busy schedule. The Vatican announced plans on Saturday for him to visit Mongolia on August 31–Sept. 4, one of the more remote places he has travelled to.
Before that, he is due to visit Portugal from August 2–6 to attend the World Youth Day in Lisbon and visit the Shrine of Fatima. On Tuesday, the Vatican released an official schedule for the trip, giving an indication that it had been confirmed.
