Pope Francis, 84, is pictured leaving hospital in Rome for the Vatican ten days after major colon operation
- Pope Francis had half his colon removed after a narrowing of his large intestine
- The surgery was a planned procedure during the pontiff’s quiet summer months
- Francis will have several more weeks to recover before travelling in September
Pope Francis has left hospital ten days after undergoing planned surgery to remove half his colon.
The pontiff, 84, sat in the passenger seat of a car which took him from Rome’s Gemelli Polytechnic hospital to the Vatican on Wednesday morning.
He stepped out of the Ford with the help of a bodyguard and greeted his police escorts and Italian security guards before entering the Vatican through the Perugino gate.
Francis had half of his colon removed after a severe narrowing of his large intestine on July 4, his first major surgery since he became pope in 2013.
Pope Francis has left hospital ten days after undergoing planned surgery to remove half his colon
He stepped out of the Ford with the help of a bodyguard and greeted his police escorts and Italian security guards
He was earlier seen in the passenger seat of a car which took him from Rome’s Gemelli Polytechnic hospital to the Vatican
Francis had half of his colon removed after a severe narrowing of his large intestine on July 4, his first major surgery since he became pope in 2013
It was a planned procedure, scheduled for early July when the pope’s audiences are suspended and Francis would normally take time off.
Francis will have several more weeks to recover before beginning to travel again in September.
There are plans for him to visit Hungary and Slovakia in a September 12-15 trip, and then make a quick stop in Glasgow, Scotland, in November to participate in the COP26 climate conference. Other possible trips are also under review.
The Vatican had originally said Francis could be discharged last weekend, but later said he would stay a few days extra for further recovery and rehabilitation therapy.
Nurses of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic hold a banner reading: ‘Bye Francis, we need to talk to you, we love you’
It was a planned procedure, scheduled for early July when the pope’s audiences are suspended and Francis would normally take time off
Pope Francis stops to greet police that escorted him as he arrives at the Vatican after leaving the hospital
The pope appeared for the first time in public since the surgery on Sunday, looking in good form as he delivered his weekly prayer from the 10th floor hospital balcony, surrounded by young cancer patients.
He used the occasion to call for free health care for all.
On Tuesday afternoon, the eve of his release, he visited the pediatric cancer ward, which is located on the same floor as the papal hospital suite.
The Argentine pope had part of one lung removed when he was a young man but has otherwise enjoyed relatively robust health.
Francis will have several more weeks to recover before beginning to travel again in September
On Sunday, the Pope stood for 10 minutes greeting well-wishers at noon on what would have been the time he traditionally appears from a window at the Vatican overlooking St Peter’s Square.
Reading from prepared remarks, he told the crowds: ‘I thank everyone. I very much felt your closeness and the support of your prayers.’
He described his hospital admission as an opportunity to understand the importance of a ‘good health service, accessible to all, as it is in Italy and other countries.
‘We mustn’t lose this precious thing.’
Francis, pictured on Sunday, had half of his colon removed for a severe narrowing of his large intestine on July 4
Similar to the NHS, Italy has a national public health service, and residents can often receive treatment at private hospitals, with the costs reimbursed by the government.
He also took the time on Sunday to talk about current events.
He reiterated his closeness to Haiti, recalling the assassination of its president Jovenel Moïse and wounding of the first lady Martine Moïse last week.
Francis also spoke about the environment, which has been a major theme of his papacy since it began in 2013.
He urged people to look after ‘the health of seas and oceans’ and said ‘no plastic in the sea!’
He stood for 10 minutes greeting well-wishers at noon on what would have been the hour when he traditionally appears from a window at the Vatican overlooking St Peter’s Square
He also voiced hope that ‘Europe may be united in its founding values’.
It could be a possible reference to tensions between EU leaders and Hungary over LGBTQ rights crackdowns.
The new law is ostensibly designed to crack down on paedophilia, but critics say the law dangerously conflates paedophilia with homosexuality and stigmatises support for the LGBTQ+ community.
The law prohibits the sharing of any content portraying homosexuality or sex reassignment to children under-18 in school sex education programs, films and advertisements.
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