Pope Francis appears before parishioners after 1:50 surgery
(CNN) -
Pope Francis has completed his postoperative recovery, but will remain in hospital for a few more days to "optimize his medical and rehabilitation therapy," Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement on Monday.
He was initially scheduled to leave the hospital on Monday or Tuesday.
The pope made his weekly Angelus prayer on Sunday from a balcony of the Gemelli University Hospital in Rome, where he is currently recovering after being operated on for colon diverticulitis on July 4.
Pope Francis' first appearance before a crowd of parishioners after his surgery
"Yesterday [Sunday], before praying the Angelus he wanted to meet some young patients from the nearby oncology unit with their families, who then accompanied him on the balcony of the 10th floor for Marian prayer. At the end, he greeted other patients in the floor and met briefly with the nurses and doctors, "Bruni said.
On Sunday afternoon, he celebrated Holy Mass in the private chapel with his assistants.
The pope also expressed his joy at Argentina's victory in the 2021 Copa América final against Brazil, and at Italy's victory in Euro 2020 against England.
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"When sharing with his relatives the joy for the victory of the Argentine and Italian national teams, His Holiness reflected on the meaning of sport and its values, and on the sporting capacity of knowing how to accept any result, even defeat: 'just like that, In the face of life's difficulties, you can continue to put yourself in the game without giving up, with hope and confidence, '"said Bruni.
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