Pope Francis discharged from Gemelli hospital in Rome. | Photo: Reuters

Pope Francis was discharged from a hospital in the Vatican on Friday, where he was admitted for nine days after undergoing abdominal surgery on June 7, 2023.

His doctor told reporters that Francis left Rome’s Gemelli Hospital stronger than he was before.

“The pope is well. He is in better shape than before,” Sergio Alfieri, who operated on Francis on June 7, told reporters.

In pictures taken by Reuters news agency, the 86-year-old pontiff was seen waving to reporters and well-wishers in a wheelchair as he was taken to a waiting car.

Alfieri said the pope was well enough to travel. The Pope intends to travel to Portugal at the start of August and Mongolia at the end of that month.

“He already has resumed working. We asked him to rest a bit and I am certain that this time he will listen to us a bit more because he has some important commitments, which he told us he would respect.”

“The pope told us ‘Thank you, pray for me, I am still alive’,” Alfieri said.

On Friday, June 9, the Holy See Office said Pope Francis is recovering and responding well to treatment after he underwent surgery.

The Pope’s admission to the hospital reportedly follows a visit and consultation with doctors at the same facility on Tuesday.

This is the third time in two years that Francis has been admitted to the Gemelli Hospital.

Some of the information in this story were taken from Reuters