Pope Francis was admitted to Rome's A. Gemelli University Hospital Wednesday after hosting his weekly general audience. He is scheduled to undergo surgery in the early afternoon.
He reportedly made an earlier visit and consultation with the hospital on Tuesday for this purpose. However, the pope made no mention of his hospital visit during the weekly audience as he appeared to the congregation in good spirits.
Concerns on the Pope's Health
The Holy See released a statement saying the pontiff "will undergo a laparotomy and abdominal wall surgery under general anesthesia."
"The surgery, decided upon over the past few days by the medical team assisting the Holy Father, became necessary due to an incisional laparocele (hernia) that is causing recurrent, painful, and worsening sub-occlusive syndromes," the statement added.
The pope would remain in the hospital for several days following the surgery in order to recover.
Pope Francis's admission to the Gemelli Hospital is the second for 2023 and the third major one in his pontificate. He was admitted to the hospital earlier in March for respiratory issues due to bronchitis. He also underwent colon surgery in July 2021.
Additionally, he had to skip his engagements last month due to a fever but was able to recover to meet American artists at the Vatican, including Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese.
Pope's Visit to Portugal, Mongolia
The Vatican released yesterday, June 6, the itinerary of the pope's visit to Portugal to lead in the celebration of World Youth Day in Lisbon.
The trip would include visiting the town of Fatima, where the Virgin Mary allegedly appeared to three shepherd children, two of which have been canonized by the Catholic Church.
The Vatican also announced the pope's two-day visit to Mongolia a few weeks after his Portugal trip.
