Pope Francis has good second night in hospital and condition stable following abdominal surgery

Pope Francis had a second good night in hospital following his abdominal surgery, the Vatican has said.

The pontiff's condition was stable and his post-operative recovery judged normal, according to the Holy See press office.

It said further medical updates were expected later in the day.

The 86-year-old was admitted to hospital in Rome on Wednesday for his second major abdominal operation in two years.

During the surgery, doctors removed intestinal scar tissue and repaired hernia in his abdominal wall.

Francis is expected to remain at the Gemelli hospital for several days.

Originally called Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Francis was archbishop of the Argentine capital Buenos Aires from 1998 until he was elected pope in 2013.

Since he assumed the papacy, he has been forced to cancel some events, sometimes at the last minute, because of illness.

He spent three days in hospital with a respiratory infection in March - joking "I'm still alive!" when he was discharged - and last month had to skip audiences because of a fever.

He was first hospitalised as pope in 2021 for an operation to remove part of his colon.

Francis is also missing part of one lung, which was removed when he was a young man in Argentina, and often uses a cane to walk due to knee pain.

Last year he hinted he may resign if his health continued to deteriorate.

That suggestion came after he was pictured using a wheelchair for the first time in public due to mobility issues.

The late Benedict XVI became the first pope to resign for more than 600 years in 2013 instead of ruling for life.