Pope 'progressively improving,' off I.V. tubes, moving about

Flowers are seen at the statue of Pope John Paul II at Gemelli Hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalised for surgery on his abdomen, in Rome, Italy, June 9, 2023. REUTERS/Remo Casilli

ROME (Reuters) - Pope Francis' overall condition is progressively improving and his post-surgical recovery is normal, allowing him to get out of bed, be detached from intravenous tubes and resume handling some Church work from his hospital armchair on Friday.

Two statements from the Vatican, one in the early afternoon and the other in the evening, offered a picture of the pope on the mend two days after a three-hour operation to repair an abdominal hernia.