By Verghese V Joseph –
Vatican: In a huge sigh of relief, His Holiness Pope Francis is recovering well after a scheduled surgical operation for diverticular stenosis of the colon on Sunday at Romes’s Gemelli Hospital.
According to a statement by the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, His Holiness Pope Francis on Friday spent a quiet day with normal clinical progress. He continued to eat regularly and continued his scheduled treatment.
He walked in the corridor and resumed his work, alternating it with moments of reading texts.
In the afternoon, he celebrated Holy Mass in the chapel of his private apartment, attended by all those assisting him during his hospitalization.
Following the brief episode with a slight temperature, the Holy Father is without fever.
On Sunday July 4th, His Holiness Pope Francis was taken to the A. Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome where he underwent a scheduled surgery for a symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon.
The Holy Father was subjected to the scheduled surgical operation for diverticular stenosis of the sigma. He reacted well to the intervention conducted under general anesthesia and performed by Prof. Sergio Alfieri, with the assistance of Prof. Luigi Sofo, of Dr. Antonio Tortorelli and Dr. Roberta Menghi. The anesthesia was conducted by Prof. Massimo Antonelli, by Prof. Liliana Sollazzi and by doctors Roberto De Cicco and Maurizio Soave. Prof. Giovanni Battista Doglietto and Prof. Roberto Bernabei were also present in the operating room. The surgery lasted about 3 hours.
A couple more hospital stay is expected, barring complications. Next Sunday the Angelus will be recited from the tenth floor of the “A. Gemelli” University Hospital.
The press note said Pope Francis was touched by the many messages and affection received in these days and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer.