Pope Francis has survived the first night in the hospital after his operation on the open abdomen, according to the Vatican. The head of the Catholic Church had undergone surgery under general anesthesia at Rome's Gemelli Clinic on Wednesday.
The procedure had become necessary because of a so-called laparoces, an incisional hernia in the area of the intestine. The 86-year-old pontiff must now stay in the clinic for five to seven days. More information about his state of health will be available later today.