Pope Francis was discharged from the hospital on Friday morning, nine days after surgery to repair an abdominal hernia, and his doctor said he was stronger than before.
The 86-year-old pontiff left Rome’s Gemelli hospital in a wheelchair, waving to reporters and well-wishers at the main entrance as he was taken to a waiting car.
“The pope is well. He is in better shape than before,” Sergio Alfieri, who operated on Francis on June 7, told reporters.
Alfieri said the pope was well enough to travel. Francis travels to Portugal at the start of August and Mongolia at the end of that month.
“He will be able to carry out his duties better than before because he will no longer have the discomfort. He will be a stronger pope,” Alfieri said.
“He has already resumed working. We asked him to rest a bit, and I am certain that this time he will listen to us a bit more because he has some important commitments, which he told us he would respect.”
Pope Francis’ engagements have been cancelled until June 18.
“The pope told us, ‘Thank you, pray for me; I am still alive’,” Alfieri said.
The pope traditionally takes all of July off, with the Sunday blessings his only public appearances, so he will have next month to rest before his trips.
Reuters
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
