VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis went to a Rome hospital on Wednesday for some previously scheduled tests, slipping out of the Vatican after his general audience and before the busy start of Holy Week this Sunday.
The Vatican provided no details, including how long the 86-year-old pope would remain at the Gemelli hospital where he had intestinal surgery in 2021. But a statement from spokesman Matteo Bruni suggested Francis could remain at least overnight, since he only arrived in the afternoon.
“The Holy Father has been at Gemelli since this afternoon for some previously scheduled checkups,” read the one-line statement.