Europe 1 with AFP 16:58 p.m., March 29, 2023

On Wednesday, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis, 86, has been hospitalized in Rome for tests that had already been scheduled. François, who has been in a wheelchair since May 2022, had already been hospitalized for 10 days at Gemelli Hospital in July 2021 for a major colon operation.

Pope Francis, 86, was hospitalized Wednesday in Rome for tests that had already been scheduled, the Vatican said. "The Holy Father has been at the Gemelli Hospital since this afternoon (Wednesday) for previously scheduled checks," the director of the Holy See's press service, Matteo Bruni, said in a statement, without giving further details.

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Already hospitalized in July 2021

The Argentine Jesuit, who marked his 10th anniversary of pontificate in mid-March, participated in the morning in the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square as every Wednesday, during which he appeared smiling, greeting the faithful aboard his "popemobile". François, who has been in a wheelchair since May 2022 due to chronic knee pain, had already been hospitalized for 10 days at Gemelli Hospital in July 2021 for a major colon operation. Jorge Bergoglio explained that he had kept "sequelae" of the anesthesia undergone during this operation, which pushed him to rule out the possibility of knee surgery so far.