Pope awake after spending first night in hospital following surgery

Rome’s Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic (Andrew Medichini/AP)

Pope Francis is awake after a good first night in hospital following a three-hour operation to remove intestinal scar tissue and repair a hernia in his abdominal wall.

“The night went well,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement early on Thursday, saying further updates will be released later.