The 86-year-old pope earlier in the day attended the weekly general audience at the Vatican

 Pope in hospital for scheduled check-up

The 86-year-old pope earlier in the day attended the weekly general audience at the Vatican and appeared in good health

Pope Francis has gone to Rome’s Gemelli hospital for a previously scheduled check-up, his spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a brief statement on Wednesday, giving no further information.

The 86-year-old pope earlier in the day attended the weekly general audience at the Vatican and appeared in good health.

Pope Francis suffers from diverticulitis, a condition that can infect or inflame the colon, and had an operation at the Gemelli hospital in 2021 to remove part of his colon.

Earlier this year, he said the condition had returned and that it was causing him to put on weight, but that he was not overly concerned. He did not elaborate. He also has a problem with his knee and alternates between using a cane and a wheelchair in his public appearances.

Francis told Reuters in an interview last year that he preferred not to have surgery on his knee because he did not want a repeat of long-term negative side effects from anaesthesia that he suffered after the 2021 operation.