The recent update of the Pope Francis' medical report from the Press Office of the Holy See. Headquarters reports that he had a good night's rest, had breakfast, got up for a walk and even read some newspapers. Through which, we can probably add, he has savored the "chain of affection" offered by faithful from all over the world.
The Holy Father has been hospitalized since Sunday afternoon at the "Agostino Gemelli" University Hospital in Rome for scheduled routine surgery.
Technically it is "symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon", an operation that involves a few days of convalescence for a full recovery.
No one was aware of this planned hospitalization of the Pontiff, so much so that, an hour before entering the hospital, to which he went accompanied by his driver and a close collaborator, he had prayed the Angelus from the window of St. Peter's Square. Not only that, but he also announced (and confirmed) that on September 12 he will travel to Budapest, Hungary, for the closing Mass of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress, and then visit neighboring Slovakia.
This "confidentiality" and surprise has aroused apprehension, in any case, both from the international press and among the Catholic faithful, so much so that the live links from the Gemelli Polyclinic of the main television channels followed one after the other over the course of the hours. Official messages wishing him a speedy recovery came from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, the President of the Italian Episcopal Conference, and even representatives of other religious denominations.
But, above all, once the news of the Pope's hospitalization became known, the entire Church, spread throughout the world, has united in a multitude of forms of prayer, even knowing that it was a routine intervention, as has been said several times. The social networks have collected thousands of reactions and prayers.
The operation, which required general anesthesia, was performed by Sergio Alfieri, director of the Digestive Surgery Unit of the Gemelli Polyclinic, which has performed more than 9,000 operations of the type required by the Holy Father.
Initial post-operative updates confirmed that the surgery "involved a left hemicolectomy" and lasted about 3 hours. However, the Pope appeared immediately in good general condition, alert and breathing spontaneously.
The hospitalization is expected to last a week, so it is likely that next Sunday Pope Francis will pray the Angelus from the tenth floor window of the Gemelli Polyclinic, as St. John Paul II did when he was hospitalized there on several occasions.
