Pope Francis reacted well to intestinal surgery

The Vatican says Pope Francis “reacted well” to a planned intestinal surgery, which he underwent yesterday evening at a Rome hospital.

{RVO}

The Vatican did not give further detail about the pontiff’s current condition.

He was expected to convalesce for a few days in a Catholic hospital.

84-year-old Francis had general anaesthesia during the surgery necessitated by a narrowing of the large intestine. Earlier, he suffered from stenosis.

The pontiff is generally in good health, but he did have part of one lung removed, and has been suffering from sciatica, in which a nerve affects the lower back and leg.