AceShowbiz - Pope Francis is recovering after undergoing surgery on his colon. The 84-year-old leader of the Catholic Church was taken to the Gemelli Policlinic in Rome, Italy on Sunday afternoon, July 4, after delivering a prayer in St. Peter's Square.

At the time of his admission, Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office, issued a statement explaining the operation was "a scheduled surgery for a symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon" - a common condition affecting the wall of the large intestine.

Vatican City officials later shared an update, simply explaining, "Operation finished, [Pope Francis] will remain under observation."

In his written statement about the pontiff's post-surgery condition, Bruni additionally said, "The Holy Father reacted well to the surgery carried out under general anesthesia."

It was not specified how long the pontiff will remain in the hospital, but during his Sunday blessing in St Peter's Square, he announced his plan to visit Slovakia and Hungary's capital Budapest in September.

One week prior, the Pope asked those who gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray for him though he did not mention his planned surgery. "I ask you to pray for the pope, pray in a special way," he said on June 27. He went on to add, "The pope needs your prayers. I know you will do that."

Reacting to news of the Pope's surgery was Italian President Sergio Mattarella. In a message shared on the presidency's website, he wished the pontiff speedy recovery. "Speaking on behalf of all Italians and of myself, we wish to send to Your Holiness our warm regards and the most cordial wishes for a good convalescence and speedy recovery," his statement read.