Tests negative on recuperating Pope Francis after fever, Vatican says

FILE PHOTO: Pope Francis greets people, as he arrives at the San Damaso courtyard for the weekly general audience, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, at the Vatican, June 23, 2021. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, who is recovering from intestinal surgery in a Rome hospital, ran a fever on Wednesday night, but microbiological exams and scans of his chest and abdomen proved negative, the Vatican said on Thursday.

Francis, 84, was continuing the planned treatment in the Gemelli hospital.

“His Holiness Pope Francis spent a quiet day, eating and moving unassisted,” spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement that said the fever on Wednesday night was temporary.

He underwent a three-hour operation on Sunday night known as a left hemicolectomy, a procedure in which one side of the colon is removed. It was to remove a part of colon which had narrowed severely, the Vatican has said.

He is expected to spend a total of seven days in hospital, barring complications.