06/08/2023 19:54 (act. 06/08/2023 20:00)
Francis asked the surgeon about further surgery ©APA/AFP
The Pope had a peaceful night after the colon operation under general anesthesia at the Roman polyclinic “Agostino Gemelli”. The announcement was made by the hospital where Francis was admitted on Wednesday and was confirmed by the Vatican in a press release. After the three-hour operation, the 86-year-old man still played with surgeon Sergio Alfieri, as he reported.
“Francis had a peaceful night and was able to rest for a long time; he is in good general condition,” the Vatican said in a statement. By evening, according to media reports, the 86-year-old’s values were stable and he was given liquid food. The checkups showed good results, he said. Now, however, Francis must continue to rest and recover.
The Pope is informed about the messages of closeness and affection and thanks them. At the same time, he asks for more prayers for him, the press release said.
“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.
“When asked if he was in any pain as a result of the operation, the Holy Father nodded more than words, assuring us all that he was fine and in no physical pain,” said Massimo Antonelli, director of the anesthesia department. Resuscitation, Intensive Care and Clinical Toxicology at Hospital Gemelli.
Pontifex had been operated on for laparocele, a hernia in the intestine. The operation was to prevent an intestinal obstruction. After the approximately three-hour operation, the pope left the operating room just before 6 pm. The room on the tenth floor, always available to the pontiff, is also equipped with an intensive care unit. It was created in 2005 on the occasion of the last operation of Pope John Paul II.
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.
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.
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”.