Pope Francis, 86, on Thursday began several days of convalescence a day after a hernia operation, as questions resurfaced about his health.
It said the pope had personally thanked over the phone the mother of a little boy he had baptised at the end of March after they sent “a poster wishing him a speedy recovery,” the director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, wrote.
The Argentine pontiff was “grateful” for those sending him well wishes and asked people to pray for him, the also Vatican added.
Francis underwent a three-hour operation at the Gemelli hospital in Rome Wednesday, and was reportedly cheerful when he woke up.
The pope, who had colon surgery in 2021, had been suffering from a hernia on the site of a scar from a previous surgery, doctor Sergio Alfieri told reporters Wednesday.
He was placed under general anaesthesia and the abdominal wall was repaired with a surgical mesh.
All papal audiences have been cancelled until June 18 to give the pontiff time to recover.
The Vatican said the pope would stay in hospital for “several days”, and Alfieri, who operated on him, would not be more specific.
He said the operation usually required a stay of between five and seven days, but the pope’s age and illness in March — when he was hospitalised with a respiratory infection — may affect his recovery time.
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