The Pope had a peaceful night after the colon operation under general anesthesia at the Roman polyclinic “Agostino Gemelli”. The information is from the hospital where Francisco was admitted on Wednesday. The 86-year-old pontiff underwent surgery there for a laparocele, a hernia in the intestine. After the three-hour operation, the pope even joked with the surgeon in charge, Sergio Alfieri, as he related.
Surgeon Sergio Alfieri
© Image: EPA/MAURIZIO BRAMBATTI
“The Holy Father is fine”
“The Holy Father is fine. He joked with me and said, ‘When will the third operation be?'” said Alfieri, who previously operated on Francis in July 2021. Francis will likely have to stay at the clinic for five to seven days for observation. and recovery. When the pope feels fit again, he will be able to carry out his duties as planned. The planned Vatican audiences were canceled as a precaution until June 18, said Matteo Bruni, spokesman for the Holy See.
➤ Read more here: OP Under General Anesthesia: Pope Francis’ Intervention Went Well
Peace appeal without Pope at the weekend
A major peace event scheduled for Saturday in St. Peter’s Square with nearly 30 Nobel Prize winners and celebrities has been confirmed, in which a major appeal for peace will be published, but the event will take place without the Pope. It cannot be ruled out that the Holy Father will say the traditional Angelus prayer on Sunday at 12:00 in the hospital – as he did in 2021 after his intestinal surgery on the balcony of the Gemelli Clinic.
Huge media interest in front of the hospital in Rome
© Image: APA/AFP/TIZIANA FABI
Health Concerns for Pope Francis
The intestinal operation fuels new concerns about the health of the Argentine, who celebrated ten years of pontificate on March 13 and has suffered from health problems for a long time. At the end of March, Francis had to be medically treated for pneumonia. At that time, he spent three days in the hospital. Because of his severe knee problems, he often has to go to appointments in a wheelchair.
resignation rumors
In recent interviews, Francis has not ruled out that he might step down due to ill health. Dismissal can come from “tiredness, which doesn’t let you see things clearly,” he said in a recent interview. The main problem for him is his limited mobility due to knee problems. This is a “physical humiliation”. He was “embarrassed” that he had to appear in a wheelchair to the public. In February, he stressed that resigning was “not in my plans at the moment”.
➤ Read more here: “Buona sera”: Provisional balance of ten years of Pope Francis