Vatican: Pope Francis goes to hospital for scheduled tests

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis went to a Rome hospital on Wednesday for some scheduled tests, the Vatican said.

The Vatican provided no details other than to say the pontiff’s visit to the Gemelli hospital was “previously scheduled.”

The 86-year-old pope spent 10 days at the Gemelli hospital in July 2021 following surgery for an intestinal narrowing. He had 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his colon removed.

He said soon after that he had recovered fully and could eat normally, but in a Jan. 24 interview with The Associated Press said the diverticulosis, or bulges in his intestinal wall, had “returned.”