Pope Francis was discharged from hospital on Friday (June 16) morning, nine days after he underwent surgery to repair an abdominal hernia, Reuters reports.
Francis, 86, left Rome's Gemelli hospital in a wheelchair, waving to reporters and well-wishers at the main entrance as he was taken to a waiting car.
Sergio Alfieri, the chief surgeon who operated on Francis on June 7, told reporters outside the hospital after the pontiff left that the pope was well enough to travel. Francis has trips planned for Portugal at the start of August and Mongolia at the end of that month.
The pope traditionally takes all of July off, with the Sunday blessings being his only public appearances, so he will have next month to rest before the August trips.
