Pope Francis was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Sunday for scheduled intestinal surgery, the Vatican said, the first time he has been in hospital since his election in 2013, APA reports quoting Reuters.
Spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pope, 84, was due to undergo the surgery later on Sunday for an intestinal condition that tends to affect older people and can cause abdominal pain.
The pope appeared to be in fine health several hours earlier when he addressed thousands of people in St. Peter's Square for his Sunday blessing and announced a trip to Slovakia and Budapest for September .
The sprawling Catholic-run Gemelli hospital and medical school in the northern part of Rome traditionally treats popes and a part of its 10th floor is permanently reserved for them.
Francis is suffering from symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon, a condition where sac-like pouches protrude from the muscular layer of the colon, leading it to become narrow.
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