" On Sunday afternoon, 4 July, Pope Francis was taken to A. Gemelli Policlinic in Rome where he will undergo scheduled surgery," reports Vatican News.

The Pope on Sunday addressed thousands of visitors in St Peter's Square.

The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, confirmed the information through a statement to accredited journalists sent through Telegram: "This afternoon, His Holiness Pope Francis was taken to A. Gemelli Policlinic in Rome where he will undergo a scheduled surgery for a symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon."

 This is the first time the pontiff has been admitted to hospital since his election in 2013, reports BBC.