Vatican number two admitted to hospital for prostate operation

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State who ranks second to the pope in the Catholic Church hierarchy, went into hospital on Tuesday for a scheduled operation on his prostate, the Vatican said.

A statement said Parolin, 65, was suffering from prostatic hypertrophy, a common, noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland.

It said Parolin, the Vatican's top diplomat, was expected to be discharged in a few days and gradually resume his work.