Pope Francis in Rome hospital for ‘scheduled’ checkup

By Giada Zampano

ROME - Pope Francis went to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Wednesday afternoon for "some tests which had been scheduled previously," Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement.

As usual, the pope presided over the Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter's Square earlier in the day.

Francis, 86, has a knee problem that has forced him to often use a wheelchair in the past few months.

In recent interviews, he indicated that he might resign like his predecessor Benedict XVI if bad health makes it impossible for him to continue doing his job.

Francis spent 10 days at the Gemelli hospital in July 2021 after undergoing a three-hour surgery that included the removal of the descending part of the colon, a surgery that is used to treat diverticulitis.