Pope Francis is resting at the hospital after a three hour abdominal surgery on Wednesday to repair a hernia in his abdomen that had been causing him recurring pain, according to a Vatican statement.

The procedure is related to the surgery Francis underwent in early July 2021 to remove diverticular stenosis in his colon. He stayed at the hospital for 10 days that time.

"The operation, arranged in recent days by the medical team assisting the Holy Father, became necessary due to an incarcerated incisional hernia that is causing recurring, painful and worsening sub-occlusive syndromes," the Vatican statement read.

The surgery took place "without complications," the Vatican announces, but the pope's agenda has been cleared until June 18.

The 86-year-old Francis had gone to the hospital on Tuesday for a routine checkup, where it was determined that the operation was necessary. In late May, the pope had canceled all his meetings, citing poor health.

After his usual Wednesday audience in St. Peter's Square, Francis was taken to the Il Gemelli Hospital in Rome to undergo surgery under general anesthesia.

News of the pope's operation was first broken by the Italian media and later confirmed by Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni.

Francis will stay at the health facility for "several days," the Vatican said, "to allow for the normal post-operative course and full functional recovery."

Francis has seen his health decline in recent years. Sciatica in his lower back and leg has forced the pope to use a cane or wheelchair and limit his foreign travel.

Last March, the pope was taken once again to Il Gemelli to treat bronchitis that had caused him to struggle to breathe.

The Vatican did not say whether the pope's surgery would affect his plans to go to Portugal in August for World Youth Day.

© Religion News Service