A statue of St. John Paul II is seen outside of Rome's Gemelli hospital June 10, 2023, where Pope Francis is staying after undergoing surgery to treat a hernia June 7. Because of his frequent visits over his three-decade pontificate, the Polish pope affectionately called the hospital "the third Vatican" after his second "home" at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)ROME — Approaching his first week at Rome's Gemelli hospital after undergoing abdominal surgery June 7, Pope Francis' days were dedicated to working, reading, resting, praying and respiratory therapy, the Vatican said.
The pope has been sleeping well at night and his recovery was going smoothly, according to daily updates from Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office.
"The morning was devoted to work activities alternating with reading texts," he said June 13.
"Before lunch he went to the small chapel in the private apartment where he gathered in prayer and received the Eucharist," Bruni added.
His blood tests were normal and "he is continuing respiratory physiotherapy," he said.
In a statement June 12, Bruni said Pope Francis' post-operative recovery "continues to be normal."
"Pope Francis continues to feed himself normally," Bruni wrote, adding that the pope received the Eucharist that morning and started the day "devoted to work."
The day before, June 11, the pope "was able to walk a few steps," Bruni wrote. He spent a few hours working throughout the day, taking breaks to rest and to pray, he added.
The pope also had some "respiratory physiotherapy" and continued to move around, he added.
That Sunday morning, "he watched the Holy Mass live on television and received the Eucharist. He then went to the small chapel in the private apartment, where he gathered in prayer for the recitation of the Angelus," Bruni had said June 11.
He then had lunch in the hospital's papal apartment with some of the people assisting him during his recovery: doctors, medical assistants, nurses, support staff and personnel from the Vatican gendarmes.
On the advice of his doctors, Pope Francis did not publicly pray the Sunday Angelus from the balcony of Rome's Gemelli hospital. While his recovery was proceeding normally, the pope's medical team had strongly advised him to skip the public event to reduce as much strain as possible on his abdominal wall.
The pope underwent a three-hour surgery under general anesthesia for a hernia June 7. The procedure included placing a surgical mesh to prevent the recurrence of a hernia and the removal of several adhesions, which were bands of scar tissue formed after previous surgeries decades ago, according to Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the chief surgeon operating on the pope.
He explained in a news conference at Gemelli hospital June 10 that too much strain on the muscles caused by excessive movement could tear the mesh, which would require another operation to repair.
"We've asked him to make this sacrifice; for him it is a sacrifice not to (publicly) recite the Angelus," Alfieri had said.
Also speaking at the news conference, Bruni had said that Catholics were invited to join the pope spiritually in prayer.
While the pope did not appear on the balcony, a small group of people gathered to pray outside the hospital June 11, according to Vatican News.
The Vatican also released a copy of a letter from Pope Francis in response to a note sent to him by nurses and staff who work in the hospital's pediatric neuropsychiatry ward.
In the typewritten letter, dated June 10, the pope told them they were "saints next door" and an example of the church as "field hospital." He recognized the trauma they experience -- and wrote to him about -- in seeing some of their young patients die and the suffering it causes the deceased child's loved ones.
"You are witnesses of life as well as death, and so you are called to give comfort and consolation during those last minutes, accompanying these little 'angels' to the threshold of their encounter with the Lord," he said.
The pope invited them to continue to be "good Samaritans," who carry the burdens of life and the pain of others, and to "cultivate a culture of closeness and tenderness."
— Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service
From left: A card saying, "We really hope you get better soon," can be seen in this photograph taken June 9, 2023. "Thank you for everything you do" and "We are waiting for you with open arms," the card says. A gift saying "Always with you" can be seen in this photograph taken June 9, 2023. A drawing of Pope Francis can be seen in this photograph taken June 9, 2023. These were made for Pope Francis by children and young adults recovering in the pediatric oncology ward of Rome's Gemelli hospital where the pope was recovering from abdominal surgery June 7, 2023. (CNS photo/courtesy of Gemelli hospital)ROME — Pope Francis has thanked people for their prayers and many messages of support and affection, said Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, in a written statement the evening of June 9.
The medical team caring for the pope said they have suspended giving him IV fluids and the pope was continuing "to feed himself on a liquid diet," Bruni wrote.
His temperature and vital signs are all within the norm, he said, and his recovery was proceeding normally. His "clinical status is progressively improving" and his recovery from his abdominal surgery was going smoothly, Bruni reported earlier in the day June 9.
Pope Francis spent the afternoon of June 9 working and set aside time for prayer, Bruni wrote, and in the evening he received the Eucharist.
"Pope Francis is touched by the many messages he continues to receive these past hours," Bruni wrote. The pope was especially keen to send "his thoughts and thanks to the children currently hospitalized, for the affection and love received through their drawings and messages."
"To them, as well as to the medical staff, nurses, social workers and spiritual assistants who touch pain with their hands daily, lifting its burden, he expresses his gratitude for their closeness and prayer," Bruni wrote.
Pope Francis also showed his appreciation on his Twitter account, @Pontifex: "I sincerely appreciate the prayers and numerous expressions of closeness and affection received in the past few days."
"I am praying for everyone, especially those who suffer. I ask you to keep me in your prayers," said the tweet posted the evening of June 9.
After the pope had breakfast June 9, he began to move around on his feet after spending most of the morning seated "in an armchair," Bruni added. He read the day's newspapers and started back to work.
The Vatican newspaper reported June 9 that countless messages have reached the pope since June 7 when he underwent abdominal surgery.
The Italian bishops' conference expressed its "closeness and affection" and invited the nation's Catholics to continue to support the pope with prayer. Italian President Sergio Mattarella said the pope could count on the best wishes of many people of any or no faith.
Rome's Gemelli hospital shared with reporters June 9 photographs of some drawings, cards and crafts made by the children and young adults recovering in its pediatric oncology ward.
One drawing of a large rainbow-colored heart being held aloft by many hands said, "Best wishes for getting well."
Inside, the note said, "We really hope you get better soon. ... Thank you for everything you do" and "We are waiting for you with open arms," inviting the pope to visit them in their ward, like he did in March during his last hospital stay at Gemelli for a respiratory infection.
The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, asked that Catholics "keep Pope Francis and all those in the hospital in your prayers."
"As Pope Francis recovers from surgery, he is strengthened by faith in the healing power of our merciful God," he said in a written statement released June 7. "Jesus always walks with us and is even closer whenever we need healing and comfort."
Shortly after his general audience June 7, the 86-year-old pope was taken to the Rome hospital where he underwent a three-hour abdominal surgery to treat a hernia, according to the Vatican press office.
The hernia had developed at the site of abdominal incisions from previous operations many years ago, Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the chief surgeon operating on the pope, said at a news conference at the hospital following the operation. Alfieri, who also operated on the pope in 2021, said the pope had no complications and responded well to the general anesthesia he was administered during this surgery and the one in 2021 that removed part of his colon.
The chief surgeon underscored that, in both operations, all affected tissue had been benign.
"The pope does not have other illnesses," he said.
Alfieri explained that while the medical team that follows the pope had been discussing the scheduled operation for several days, the final decision to operate was not taken until June 6, when Pope Francis briefly visited the hospital for a medical checkup and tests.
— Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service
Pope Francis comforts Miguel Ángel after baptizing the baby boy in Rome's Gemelli hospital March 31, 2023. The pope spent about half an hour in the hospital's pediatric oncology ward before he was scheduled to be released from Gemelli after being treated for a respiratory infection. He received a big card from the baby's big brothers June 8, 2023, wishing he would "get well soon" after his latest operation June 7. (CNS photo/Holy See Press Office)ROME — Among the many messages Pope Francis has been getting over the course of his first full day recovering from abdominal surgery at Rome's Gemelli hospital, his favorite, so far, was a large card from a Peruvian family he met during his last hospital stay.
Covered in hearts, smiley faces and color photographs, the card said, "Get well soon!" and "We love you very much."
One photograph explained why the card would be so special for the pope: it showed the pope with Miguel Ángel, the infant he baptized in the oncology ward March 31, together with the child's mother. The other photos showed Miguel's two big brothers, who wrote, "Thank you for blessing our baby brother Michelangelo."
"We wish you from the bottom of our hearts that you get better, we would love to meet you in person and spend an afternoon together so that you can better get to know our family, your family, since now you are part of our lives," the card also said.
Pope Francis "was touched by the affection of the family of little Miguel Ángel" who sent him a big card "wishing him a speedy recovery," said Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, in a written statement the evening of June 8.
"The Holy Father wanted to personally thank the mother with a brief phone call," he added.
Bruni said the pope spent his first full day at the hospital resting per doctors' orders.
He was on a liquid diet, his vital signs were stable and post-operative tests results were normal, Bruni said. June 8 was also the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, and the pope did receive the Eucharist.
Pope Francis had spent a restful, peaceful first night at Rome's Gemelli hospital after a successful three-hour operation June 7 for a hernia.
He was informed of the many messages of "closeness and affection" from well-wishers and he "expresses his gratitude, while asking for continued prayers," Bruni said in a written statement the morning of June 8.
The medical staff in charge of monitoring the 86-year-old pope's post-operative recovery said that "Pope Francis had a peaceful night, managing to rest extensively," Bruni said.
The pope "is in good general condition, alert and breathing on his own. Routine follow-up examinations are good," Bruni added.
The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, asked that Catholics "keep Pope Francis and all those in the hospital in your prayers."
"As Pope Francis recovers from surgery, he is strengthened by faith in the healing power of our merciful God," he said in a written statement released June 7. "Jesus always walks with us and is even closer whenever we need healing and comfort."
Pope Francis underwent a three-hour abdominal surgery "without complications" June 7 to treat a hernia, according to the Vatican press office.
The 86-year-old pope was taken to Rome's Gemelli hospital shortly after his general audience June 7. He was put under general anesthesia and underwent abdominal surgery to treat a hernia that developed at the site of abdominal incisions from previous operations, Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the chief surgeon operating on the pope, said at a news conference at the hospital following the operation.
Speaking to journalists after the surgery, Alfieri said Pope Francis had a number of internal scars and adhesions from two operations many years ago, possibly in Argentina; one was to treat peritonitis -- inflammation of abdominal tissue -- caused by an infected gallbladder and another to treat hydatid disease caused by cysts containing a parasite. It was this last operation that had left behind scars in the pope's abdominal tissue where another hernia had developed.
Alfieri said that during the three-hour operation adhesions were found between the intestine and the membrane that lines the abdomen, that for months caused an "aggravating, painful" intestinal blockage.
The adhesions were freed during the surgery and the opening in the abdomen's wall that led to the hernia was repaired with prosthetic mesh.
Alfieri, who also operated on the pope in 2021, said the pope had no complications and responded well to the general anesthesia he was administered during this surgery and the one in 2021 that removed part of his colon.
The chief surgeon underscored that, in both operations, all affected tissue had been benign.
"The pope does not have other illnesses," he said.
Alfieri explained that while the medical team that follows the pope had been discussing the scheduled operation for several days, the final decision to operate was not taken until June 6, when Pope Francis briefly visited the hospital for a medical checkup and tests.
"It was not urgent," he said, "or else we would have operated on him then."
Before going to the hospital the pope seemed well and in good spirits, holding his general audience as usual, riding in the popemobile, blessing babies, walking with a cane and meeting special guests afterward. He had held two private meetings before the general audience in St. Peter's Square.
Vatican News reported he arrived at the Gemelli hospital around 11:30 a.m. local time in the compact Fiat 500 he often rides in. The windows of the papal suite on the 10th floor of the hospital were opened just after 6 p.m.
Alfieri noted that shortly after the surgery Pope Francis was already working and making jokes, and had asked the surgeon in jest: "When are we doing the third (surgery)?"
While Alfieri said recovery for this operation typically lasts about seven days. Vatican News reported that the pope's audiences have been canceled until June 18 as a "precaution."
Bruni said June 7 that, for now, all events the pope was scheduled to attend after June 18 were still on his calendar and had not been canceled.
Pope Francis was scheduled to meet with 29 Nobel Peace Prize winners at the Vatican June 10 for an event to celebrate human fraternity. Before going to the hospital, the pope encouraged its organizers to continue with the event as planned without him, a statement from the foundation organizing the event said.
This was Pope Francis' third hospitalization at the Gemelli hospital, the most recent was from March 29 to April 1 when he was admitted for an acute respiratory infection.
— Carol Glatz, Justin McLellan Catholic News Service
A statue of St. John Paul II is seen outside of Rome's Gemelli hospital June 8, 2023, where Pope Francis is staying after undergoing surgery to treat a hernia June 7, 2023. Because of his frequent visits over his three-decade pontificate, the Polish pope affectionately called the hospital "the third Vatican" after his second "home" at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome. (CNS photo/Justin McLellan)ROME — Pope Francis had a restful, peaceful first night at Rome's Gemelli hospital after a successful three-hour operation June 7 for a hernia.
He has been informed of the many messages of "closeness and affection" from well-wishers and he "expresses his gratitude, while asking for continued prayers," said Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, in a written statement June 8.
The medical staff in charge of monitoring the 86-year-old pope's post-operative recovery said that "Pope Francis had a peaceful night, managing to rest extensively," Bruni said.
The pope "is in good general condition, alert and breathing on his own. Routine follow-up examinations are good. He will observe the necessary post-operative rest for the entire day," June 8, Bruni added.
The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, asked that Catholics "keep Pope Francis and all those in the hospital in your prayers."
"As Pope Francis recovers from surgery, he is strengthened by faith in the healing power of our merciful God," he said in a written statement released June 7. "Jesus always walks with us and is even closer whenever we need healing and comfort."
Pope Francis underwent a three-hour abdominal surgery "without complications" June 7 to treat a hernia, according to the Vatican press office.
The 86-year-old pope was taken to Rome's Gemelli hospital shortly after his general audience June 7. He was put under general anesthesia and underwent abdominal surgery to treat a hernia that developed at the site of abdominal incisions from previous operations, Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the chief surgeon operating on the pope, said at a news conference at the hospital following the operation.
Speaking to journalists after the surgery, Alfieri said Pope Francis had a number of internal scars and adhesions from two operations many years ago, possibly in Argentina; one was to treat peritonitis -- inflammation of abdominal tissue -- caused by an infected gallbladder and another to treat hydatid disease caused by cysts containing a parasite. It was this last operation that had left behind scars in the pope's abdominal tissue where another hernia had developed.
The Vatican-owned Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital posted on its Twitter feed June 7, 2023, this drawing of Pope Francis recovering in a hospital bed with children looking on and the message, "Do not be afraid, we are with you." (CNS photo/Bambino Gesù Twitter feed)Alfieri said that during the three-hour operation adhesions were found between the intestine and the membrane that lines the abdomen, that for months caused an "aggravating, painful" intestinal blockage.
The adhesions were freed during the surgery and the opening in the abdomen's wall that led to the hernia was repaired with prosthetic mesh.
Alfieri, who also operated on the pope in 2021, said the pope had no complications and responded well to the general anesthesia he was administered during this surgery and the one in 2021 that removed part of his colon.
The chief surgeon underscored that, in both operations, all affected tissue had been benign.
"The pope does not have other illnesses," he said.
Alfieri explained that while the medical team that follows the pope had been discussing the scheduled operation for several days, the final decision to operate was not taken until June 6, when Pope Francis briefly visited the hospital for a medical checkup and tests.
"It was not urgent," he said, "or else we would have operated on him then."
Before going to the hospital the pope seemed well and in good spirits, holding his general audience as usual, riding in the popemobile, blessing babies, walking with a cane and meeting special guests afterward. He had held two private meetings before the general audience in St. Peter's Square.
Vatican News reported he arrived at the Gemelli hospital around 11:30 a.m. local time in the compact Fiat 500 he often rides in. The windows of the papal suite on the 10th floor of the hospital were opened just after 6 p.m.
Alfieri noted that shortly after the surgery Pope Francis was already working and making jokes, and had asked the surgeon in jest: "When are we doing the third (surgery)?"
While Alfieri said recovery for this operation typically lasts about seven days. Vatican News reported that the pope's audiences have been canceled until June 18 as a "precaution."
Bruni said June 7 that, for now, all events the pope was scheduled to attend after June 18 were still on his calendar and had not been canceled.
Pope Francis was scheduled to meet with 29 Nobel Peace Prize winners at the Vatican June 10 for an event to celebrate human fraternity. Before going to the hospital, the pope encouraged its organizers to continue with the event as planned without him, a statement from the foundation organizing the event said.
This was Pope Francis' third hospitalization at the Gemelli hospital, the most recent was from March 29 to April 1 when he was admitted for an acute respiratory infection.
— Carol Glatz, Justin McLellan Catholic News Service
Pope Francis greets visitors from the popemobile as he rides around St. Peter's Square at the Vatican before his weekly general audience June 7, 2023. The Vatican announced the pope would be going to Rome's Gemelli hospital that afternoon for surgery for an "incisional laparocele" or hernia. (CNS photo/Lola GomVATICAN CITY — Pope Francis was scheduled to undergo surgery at Rome's Gemelli hospital June 7 to treat a hernia that had developed at an incision of a previous operation, the Vatican said.
The pope was to be put under general anesthesia and undergo abdominal surgery involving "plastic surgery on the abdominal wall with prosthesis," Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, said in a brief statement released shortly after the pope's morning general audience June 7.
He was expected to remain in the hospital for several days.
The operation, "agreed upon in recent days by the medical team assisting the Holy Father, has become necessary due to an incisional hernia" causing "recurring, painful and worsening" intestinal blockage, the statement said. An incisional hernia might occur at the site of an incision in the abdominal wall.
The pope briefly visited the Gemelli hospital's geriatric medical center for a medical checkup and tests June 6. According to the Italian news agency ANSA, he was there for some 40 minutes before returning to the Vatican.
Pope Francis was previously hospitalized for 10 days in July 2021 to treat diverticulitis, a condition marked by the inflammation of bulges lining the intestine, and underwent a surgery that removed part of his colon. In January 2023, the pope told the Associated Press that the bulges in his intestinal wall had returned.
The pope has said that he did not respond well to the general anesthetic used during his colon operation and said that reaction was part of the reason he declined having torn ligaments in his knee operated on. For more than a year Pope Francis has been using a wheelchair in many of his public events.
— Justin McLellan, Catholic News Service