Source: Anadolu Agency / Getty
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has returned to the Vatican after being discharged from Rome’s Gemelli hospital today.
The 86-year-old was recovering from abdominal surgery. The Pontiff left the hospital in a wheelchair and spoke with well-wishers and medical staff who had gathered outside the entrance to say goodbye.
Pope Francis made his first public appearance since undergoing surgery last week on Thursday. He visited children in the same hospital in Rome where he had a three-hour operation to repair a hernia.
It was a hernia that has been giving the pontiff recurring pains.
Francis has experienced a series of health issues in recent years.
