Pope Francis, 86, will undergo emergency surgery under general anesthesia on Wednesday afternoon in Rome for a risk of intestinal obstruction, the Vatican announced on Wednesday June 7 in a press release. He will undergo a laparotomy, an operation consisting in opening the abdomen.
This surgical intervention, rendered “necessary” by the aggravation of the symptoms presented by the pope according to his medical team, will cause “several days” of hospitalization, specified in a press release the director of the press service of the Holy See, Matteo Bruni. On Wednesday morning, the Argentine pope presided over the general audience in St. Peter’s Square in front of thousands of faithful.
A state of health that fuels speculation
The health of Argentinian Jorge Bergoglio, elected in 2013, regularly fuels speculation about the possibility of a waiver of his office and his succession. Tuesday morning, the head of the Catholic Church had already gone to the Gemelli hospital for “exams”, but the Vatican had not communicated on the nature of the latter.