Pope Francis is sitting up and working from the hospital following a procedure to remove intestinal scar tissue and repair a hernia in his abdominal wall, the Vatican said Friday.
Spokesman Matteo Bruni told reporters the pontiff has been “progressively improving” since undergoing surgery at A. Gemelli University Hospital earlier this week. It’s an area where Francis has had multiple operations over the years, including in 2021, when doctors removed 13 inches of his large intestine.
Francis was hospitalized for 10 days after that procedure.
This time around, doctors have speculated the 86-year-old pope would likely remain in the hospital for five to seven days following the surgery. Bruni also quoted doctors as saying the pontiff’s “post-operative course is smooth.”
“After breakfast, His Holiness began to move about, spending most of the morning in an armchair,” Bruni said Friday. “This allowed him to read the newspapers and start work again.”
During the procedure on Wednesday, doctors removed internal scarring on the intestine that had caused a partial blockage. They also repaired a hernia that had formed over a previous scar, placing a prosthetic mesh in the abdominal wall. Doctors previously said the surgery was successful enough that the pope likely won’t have any limitations on his travels and other activities after his recovery.
His caretakers still expressed caution, however, noting that Francis has been through a lot recently. He was hospitalized for three days earlier this year with bronchitis, and back in March he was treated for respiratory illness.
Upon leaving the medical facility days later, Francis flicked a thumbs up and joked to reporters he was “still alive.” He then led a Mass for Palm Sunday the following day and went on to make scheduled appearances throughout Holy Week.