The Vatican has released the first images of Pope Francis since his abdominal surgery, showing him in his wheelchair visiting a children’s cancer ward.
It was seen as a sign he is getting ready to be discharged soon from the hospital.
Francis appeared in good health in the images, in which he is seen in the corridor of the paediatric oncology ward of Rome’s Gemelli hospital, meeting children, their parents and medical staff.
In one photo, he is shown elsewhere speaking to a couple in a private room, the man in a wheelchair.
The Vatican said on Wednesday that Francis was expected to be released from Gemelli “in the coming days”.
When he was hospitalised in 2021, Francis paid a visit to the children’s cancer ward the day before he left and returned to the Vatican.
The 86-year-old pope was admitted to Gemelli hospital on June 7th for surgery to repair a hernia in his abdominal wall and remove intestinal scar tissue that had caused intestinal blockages.
Francis in 2021 had 33cm of his colon removed at Gemelli because of a narrowing of the intestine, and had at least two prior abdominal surgeries in Argentina.
He was admitted for three days this spring after coming down with bronchitis, and similarly paid a visit to the cancer ward before being discharged.
