UPDATED: Pope Francis leaves hospital ‘in better shape than before’

By Philip Pullella

ROME, June 16 (Reuters) – Pope Francis was discharged from hospital on Friday morning, nine days after surgery to repair an abdominal hernia, and his doctor said he was stronger than before.

The 86-year-old pontiff 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.

“The pope is well. He is in better shape than before,” Sergio Alfieri, who operated on Francis on June 7, told reporters.

Alfieri said the pope was well enough to travel. Francis travels to Portugal at the start of August and Mongolia at the end of that month.

“He will be able (to carry out his duties) better than before because he no longer will have the discomfort. He will be a stronger pope,” Alfieri said.

“He already has resumed working. We asked him to rest a bit and I am certain that this time he will listen to us a bit more because he has some important commitments, which he told us he would respect.”

Francis’ engagements have been cancelled until June 18.

“The pope told us ‘Thank you, pray for me, I am still alive’,” Alfieri said.

The pope traditionally takes all of July off, with the Sunday blessings his only public appearances, so he will have next month to rest before his trips.

The pope traditionally takes all of July off, with the Sunday blessings being his only public appearance, so he will have the entire month to rest before he is due to make a trip to Portugal from Aug. 2 to Aug 6 for World Youth Day and to visit the Shrine of Fatima.

He also is still scheduled to visit Mongolia from Aug. 31 to Sept. 4, one of the remotest places he will have visited.