Pope Francis was admitted to hospital for stomach surgery on July 4, the Vatican confirms.
The pontiff was admitted to the hospital just three hours after he happily greeted the cheerful crowd in the Vatican’s St Peter’s Square.
According to local reports, the pontiff told the public that he will go to Slovakia and Hungary in September this year.
A week earlier, Pope Francis also asked the people to pray for him in a special way. With many of them suspecting that the pontiff’s prayer request is for his upcoming stomach surgery.
“I ask you to pray for the Pope, pray in a special way,” the Pope had told the public.
The Vatican confirms that the Pope has been diagnosed with symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon, a condition that narrows the large intestine.
The operation was to be performed by Doctor Sergio Alfieri, the director of Gemelli’s digestive surgery department, the Washington Post reported.
It was Pope Francis’ first known medical treatment since he was elected to the papacy back in 2013.
It was reported that the Pope is in good health, however, he had part of a lung removed when he was still a young man.
The Pope also suffers from sciatica.
Sciatica is a medical condition in which a nerve affects the lower back and leg. This has caused the Pope at times to skip scheduled public appearances due to pain.
**Update: the Pope reacted well to the surgery.
“The Holy Father, admitted in the afternoon to A. Gemelli Polyclinic, underwent in the evening planned surgery for a diverticular stenosis of the sigmoid” portion of the colon, Matteo Bruni, a Hole See spokesman said in the brief written statement. “The Holy Father reacted well to the surgery conducted under general anesthesia.”