Following his General Audience this morning, June 7, Pope Francis left for Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he will undergo a laparatomy—an operation that requires the opening of the abdomen. He suffers from an “incarcerated incisional hernia” that is causing reoccurring and worsening pain.
Bishop Luis Zarama asks the clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Raleigh to pray for a successful surgery and full recovery for the pope.
The operation has been scheduled for several days, and the day before the surgery, the pope visited the hospital for clinical tests.
The operation will require general anesthesia, a practice that somewhat intimidates the pope, as he has revealed in previous interviews. The Vatican Press Office confirmed Pope Francis' stay at the hospital will be extended by several days to allow time for full recovery.