Pope Francis to leave hospital 'in the next few days'—Vatican

Pope Francis, who has been recovering from abdominal surgery in a Rome hospital, will be discharged "in the next few days," the Vatican said Wednesday, June 14.

"The Holy Father rested well during the night," Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a press release.

Francis, 86, underwent a three-hour operation at the Gemelli hospital in Rome on June 7, the latest health procedure for the leader of the Catholic Church.

Doctors said his recovery was "proceeding regularly, without complications, and therefore foresee a discharge in the next few days," Bruni said.

All papal audiences have been canceled until June 18 to give the pontiff time to recover, but the pope resumed work from his hospital room on June 10.

Francis was suffering from a hernia on the site of a scar from a previous surgery. The operation saw him placed under general anesthesia as the abdominal wall was repaired with a surgical mesh. (AFP)