Pope Undergoes Surgery; Leader of the World's Catholics Operated on Due to Bowel Obstruction

The Vatican announced that Pope Francis, the leader of the world's Catholics, underwent surgery on Wednesday, June 7, due to "a bowel obstruction." The Vatican stated that "there were no issues after three hours of surgery" and that the Pope was "under general anesthesia" during the procedure. According to the Vatican, the 86-year-old Pope will need to stay in the Gemelli Hospital in Rome for a few days. Additionally, for precautionary reasons, all his appointments have been canceled until June 18. This surgery is rarely performed on an emergency basis, but in this case, the Pope's doctors aimed to ensure he has enough time to recover before multiple travel plans later in the summer. Two years ago, the Pope also underwent surgery for a similar issue, during which part of his colon was removed. He suffers from a "painful and unhealed" obstruction due to a previous surgical wound from intestinal surgery performed in 2021. Experts say this issue, known as a "laparocel," is a recognized complication in bowel surgery. Pope Francis was also discharged from the hospital in early April after a three-day stay for tests and treatment for bronchitis. Pope Francis took office in March 2013, succeeding Pope Benedict XVI. He condemned the execution of protesters in Iran for the first time.