Pope Francis will return this morning to CeMi , the geriatric facility of the Gemelli hospital where he was already yesterday for some checks .

For Bergoglio, according to what has been learned, an operation with a hospitalization of at least two days is foreseen for "risk of intestinal obstruction" .

The surgery , considered urgent, follows the one on the colon to which the Pontiff underwent on July 4, 2021 .

"In the early afternoon, Pope Francis will undergo a surgery of Laparotomy and plastic surgery of the abdominal wall with prosthesis under general anesthesia", said the director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni. «The operation , arranged in recent days by the medical team assisting the Holy Father, became necessary due to an incarcerated incisional hernia that is causing recurring, painful and worsening sub-occlusive syndromes . The stay at the health facility will last several days to allow for the normal post-operative course and full functional recovery.

Before going to Gemelli to be operated on, the Pope held a regular Wednesday general audience in St. Peter's Square, where the relics of Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus, universal patroness of the missions, of whom the Pope is extremely devoted, were exceptionally present.

Before starting the audience, Bergoglio stopped in silent prayer in front of the urn with the saint's relics.

(Unioneonline/vl)