Recovery can begin. After a 10-day stay following an abdominal operation, Pope Francis, 86, left Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Friday morning to return to the Vatican, where his health is expected to be further watched ahead of a very busy summer. . The Argentinian Jesuit left this Friday morning seated in a wheelchair, welcomed by a crowd of faithful and journalists massed at the entrance of the establishment.
“Still alive,” he replied to a reporter asking how he felt. In a large crowd, he delivered a few greetings and thanks before returning to his white Fiat 500, surrounded by an imposing security device. Hip problems, knee pain, operations, respiratory infection: the Argentinian Jesuit has had recurring medical problems since his election in 2013.
Jorge Bergoglio underwent a three-hour operation on June 7 under general anesthesia to reabsorb painful “adhesions” on his abdominal wall, consequences of his colon operation in July 2021 which had already resulted in a ten-day hospitalization. Throughout his recovery, the Vatican published daily health reports intended to be reassuring, mentioning a “regular evolution”, a good clinical picture and “normal blood tests”.
A busy schedule despite health concerns
After lung surgery at the age of 21, the head of the Catholic Church is regularly forced to lighten his schedule due to health problems. In recent months, rumors about the possibility of a renunciation of his office and his succession have redoubled in intensity.
Because it is the third hospitalization of the pope in less than two years. At the end of March, he had already returned to Gemelli Hospital for a respiratory infection, which had required antibiotic treatment for three days. He said he kept “after-effects” from the anesthesia of 2021, which prompted him to rule out knee surgery so far which he has suffered for many months. Despite these repeated medical alerts, François maintains a busy schedule and a steady pace, with sometimes a dozen appointments in the same morning.
