Pope, recovering well, had 'severe' narrowing of his colon

Pope Francis' recovery from intestinal surgery continues to be "regular and satisfactory," the Vatican said Wednesday, as it revealed that final examinations showed he had suffered a "severe" narrowing of his colon.

The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, said the 84-year-old pope was continuing to eat regularly following his Sunday surgery to remove the left side of his colon.

He said a final examination of the affected tissue "confirmed a severe diverticular stenosis with signs of sclerosing diverticulitis." Francis underwent three hours of surgery Sunday for what the Vatican said was a narrowing of the large intestine. He is expected to stay in Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic, which has a special suite reserved for popes, through the week, assuming no complications.