How old is Pope Francis and why has he been admitted to hospital?

Pope Francis may be missing from his weekly general audience in the Vatican today as the pontiff has been admitted to hospital for surgery on his intestine.

It comes a day after the Argentinian pope returned to the Vatican city from Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where he had follow up tests after two recent bouts of illness including an acute case of bronchitis in March where he was released with intravenous medication.

Today’s admittance will see the pope spend several days in the same hospital as he undergoes a “laparotomy and abdominal wall plastic surgery with prosthesis” to treat a painful constriction of his intestine.

The 86-year-old said the inflammation of his large intestine had returned after two years prompting surgery, echoing that in 2021 where the pope had 13 inches of his colon removed as a result of ‘diverticulosis’.

It must also be noted that the pope had part of one lung removed when he was a young man.

Pope Francis’ surgery takes place ahead of a packed schedule for the head of the Roman Catholic Church who confirmed a travel-filled August to Italy and Mongolia as well as several protocol meetings.

However, the pope’s health is paramount considering he has been using a wheelchair and walker for over a year due to strained knee ligaments and sciatica nerve pain.