Pope Francis is expected to return to the Vatican after he was discharged Friday from surgery for an abdominal hernia, the third time in two years the 86-year-old pontiff has been hospitalized.
Francis left the Policlinico A. Gemelli hospital at around 8:45 am, nine days after surgeons operated on what is known as an incisional hernia, often the result of previous surgeries, causing the blockage. painful bowel.
The Pope smiled as he left the hospital in a wheelchair along the sidewalk with dozens of well-wishers. Reporters and photographers jostled for his attention, but he didn’t stop. Before taking his seat in the front seat of his car, he shook hands with the surgeon who operated on him and waved to the crowd.
A reporter for state broadcaster RAI said she inquired about the pope’s health and he told her: “Still alive”.
Doctors have warned that Francis should avoid exertion in the coming weeks to ensure that his wounds heal quickly. He is scheduled to visit Portugal for World Youth Day events from August 2 to 6, and then Mongolia from August 31 to September 4.
On Saturday, Sergio Alfieri, the director of abdominal and endocrinology at Gemelli hospital, who performed the surgery, told reporters that doctors had advise Francis not to hurry to recover and stay in the hospital until he can fully heal, otherwise he risks getting cutlery again.
Francis’ Nine-Day Restoration conducted regularly, according to daily Vatican statements, and the pope gradually increased his activities. On Thursday, Pope Francis met with the hospital’s medical team and administrators “to express gratitude.”
Using a wheelchair, Francis also visited young patients in the pediatric neurosurgery and oncology departments to thank them for the “so many letters, drawings and messages” they sent him during his time. your time here.
The pope has had to deal with various medical issues, and the abdominal surgery is the second time that Francis has faced a serious health problem in his 10 years as pope. He had about 13 inches of his large intestine removed in 2021 because of what the Vatican thinks is inflammation caused narrow your colon.
More recently, he has hospitalized at the end of March for bronchitis at Gemelli, where popes are often treated. He also has problems with his right knee and recurrent episodes of sciatica, a nerve condition that causes pain in his back, hips, and legs.
Francis said at the beginning of his pontificate that he envisioned serving only a few years, and has since said he would resign if ill health prevented him from running the church.
Soon after his election, he praised his predecessor, Benedict XVI, First Pope in nearly 600 years to resign, for having the courage to step down. Benedict died in December.
But after surgery in 2021, Francis told a Spanish-language radio station that he had never thought about quitting his job due to ill health. He said this year that he considers the papacy a lifelong mission, telling a group of Jesuits in the Democratic Republic of Congo that he thinks “the papal ministry is ad vitam,” using uses the Latin term “for life”.
In an interview in January, Francis told The Associated Press he was in good shape for his age. “I am in good health. For my age, I’m normal,” he said, adding, “I could die tomorrow, but it’s under control. I am in good health.”
The Vatican said the pope’s audiences would be canceled until June 18 as a precautionary measure.
