Pope in good condition, alert after surgery to remove part of colon

Pope Francis raises his hand in greeting as he delivers the Angelus hours before being admitted to Gemelli hospital for colon surgery, at the Vatican, July 4, 2021. Picture taken July 4, 2021. Vatican Media/Handout via

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Francis is alert, breathing without assistance, and in a good overall condition following surgery to remove part of his colon, the Vatican said on Monday.

The 84-year-old pope is expected to stay in hospital for seven days barring any complications, following his three-hour operation on Sunday night by a 10-person surgical team at Rome's Gemelli hospital, spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement.