Just one year ago, Pope Francis was admitted into Rome's Gemelli hospital to undergo a scheduled intestinal surgery.
He was placed under general anesthesia and had part of his colon removed to ease his digestion.
By all measures, the Pope seemed to recover from the operation just fine, although weeks later he skipped out on celebrating Mass in St. Peter's Basilica for World Day of the Elderly to continue his recover.
In a recent interview, Pope Francis denied that cancer had been found in his body during that six-hour operation last summer.
And while there are no signs that the Pope continues suffering from intestinal problems, his knee pain has continued to flare up over the last year. A fact he has openly shared with pilgrims.
POPE FRANCIS
I have a problem in my right leg, a ligament is inflamed in my knee.
Although he traveled to Budapest and visited Slovakia, Cyprus and Greece last year, he used an elevator to board the plane in his most recent international trip to Malta.
And more recently, Pope Francis has appeared in audiences using either a wheelchair, or a cane.
He is currently undergoing laser and magnet therapy for his knee, but the Pope has said he does not want to undergo another operation , since the general anesthetic in last year's surgery had negative side effects.
Yet one thing Pope Francis has made clear is that he is not planning on resigning from the papacy anytime soon, but that he would be open to the prospect if his health problems made him unable to guide the Church.
JM
