President Muhammadu Buhari has sent a get-well message to the Head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis as he heads in for a scheduled surgery of the colon.
The President called for prayers from Nigerians and the global community as the Pontiff goes in for this routine operation.
“He wishes him a quick recovery,” his spokesperson, Garba Shehu said in a statement on Sunday.
According to the Vatican, Pope Francis has undergone successful surgery to treat a colon problem at a hospital in Rome.
The 84-year-old “responded well” to the treatment, which was performed under general anaesthetic, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said.
It is the first time Pope Francis has been admitted to hospital since his election in 2013.
Earlier on Sunday, the Argentine pontiff addressed thousands of visitors in St Peter’s Square.
In an earlier statement, the Vatican said Pope Francis was being treated at the Gemelli University Hospital for “symptomatic diverticular stenosis” of the colon.
Diverticular disease is a condition that involves bulges in the wall of the large intestine. This can lead to a narrowing, of the colon.
Symptoms include bloating, recurrent abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits.
The Vatican did not provide further details about the surgery or how long the Pope would remain in hospital.
![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")
