The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis will undergo intestinal surgery on Wednesday, which will be his second hospitalization in a little over two months. Although he held his weekly general audience as planned on Wednesday morning, church officials have declared that surgery is necessary following routine medical checks. The Pope’s previous surgery in 2021 involved the removal of 13 inches of his large intestine due to inflammation that narrowed his colon. He currently suffers from knee problems and sciatica, which results in him using a cane or wheelchair to assist with mobility. The surgery, scheduled to remove an incisional hernia, could result in complications such as an intestinal blockage, which may require cutting the intestine. Despite this, experts have declared the operation itself to be low risk. The Pope’s recovery will be monitored in the hospital for “several days,” and a medical update is not expected until after the procedure.
