Pope Undergoes Colon Surgery in Hospital

Pope Francis underwent surgery on his colon in a hospital in Rome on Sunday. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni announced this. It was a planned operation.

The Vatican said in a statement after the procedure that the 84-year-old Church Father is doing well. “He responded well to the surgery,” Bruni said. The spokesperson did not provide further details about the course of the operation. It is also not known how long the Pope will remain in the hospital.

According to the Vatican, Francis has a bowel disease. This creates projections in the intestinal wall that can become inflamed, and a condition called diverticulitis. The disease is common in the elderly and can sometimes lead to pain or fever.

The hospital where the Pope operated is part of the medical and surgical faculty of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome. Popes have been treated there repeatedly in the past.