Pope Francis in hospital for intestinal surgery

Pope Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Sunday for scheduled bowel surgery, the Vatican said, the first time he was in the hospital since his election in 2013.

Spokesman Matteo Bruni said the 84-year-old Pope was to undergo surgery later on Sunday for an intestinal condition that affects older people and can cause abdominal pain.

The pope appeared in fine health several hours ago when he addressed thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square for his Sunday blessing and announced a visit to Slovakia and Budapest for September.

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The Catholic-run Gemelli Hospital and Medical School in the northern part of Rome traditionally treats the Pope and a portion of its 10th floor is reserved for him permanently.

Francis suffers from symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon, a condition where a sac-like sac protrudes from the muscular layer of the colon, causing it to narrow.

In addition to causing pain, the condition can cause swelling, bloating, and difficulty with bowel movements.

Francis is sometimes short of breath because a part of one of his lungs was removed following an illness when he was a young man in his native Argentina.

He also suffers from sciatica, which causes pain that radiates from the lower back along the sciatic nerve to the legs.

The condition, for which he regularly receives physiotherapy, forced him to recall several incidents earlier this year and caused him to walk with difficulty at times.

Last year, a bad cold prevented him from attending a week-long Lenten retreat with senior colleagues south of Rome.

In 2014, a year after being elected Pope, Francis was forced to cancel several events due to a stomach ailment.

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