Pope Francis is undergoing surgery for “colon diverticulitis,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni has told CNN on Sunday.
The procedure began a few hours after Francis, 84, attended the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square.
The Holy See press office said in a statement that the surgery had already been scheduled and is not an emergency procedure.
“This afternoon his Holiness Pope Francis went to the Gemelli hospital — Rome — for a scheduled surgical intervention for a symptomatic stenotic diverticulitis. Surgery will be carried out by Professor Sergio Alfieri. At the end of the surgery, a medical bulletin will be issued,” the statement read.
Diverticulitis is an inflammation caused when people develop small sacs in the walls of the colon. It’s usually symptomless but can cause discomfort and, sometimes, bleeding.
According to the US National Institutes of Health, the condition is more prevalent in elderly groups.