Archbishop Charles Scicluna is recovering well after having surgery to remove his gallbladder, the Chilean hospital where he was treated said in a medical bulletin.
Scicluna was hospitalized earlier today. He is currently acting as a special envoy sent by Pope Francis to investigate allegations that a bishop had covered up sex abuse.
The Curia said on Wednesday afternoon that the Archbishop was having gallbladder surgery performed.
It later released the official medical bulletin.
“With reference to the current state of health of Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna, the San Carlos de Apoquindo Catholic University Hospital (Santiago, Chile) would like to inform that: Mgr Scicluna was admitted at the clinic on Tuesday (20th February 2018) at 21:00hrs, with abdominal pain that he felt on previous days. After being examined by a medical team, he was diagnosed with probable acute cholecystitis and various tests were performed to confirm the diagnosis. This condition required, as a first step, antibiotic and analgesic treatment for the inflammation of the gallbladder, to then be able to perform a laparoscopic surgery to remove the gallbladder. The surgery was performed this morning (Chile time). Mgr Scicluna is now in good condition, recovering well from laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a minimally invasive procedure with a very good prognosis. The surgery was carried out by the Department of Digestive Surgery, headed by Dr Rodrigo Miguieles. It is expected that the recovery time at the hospital will take between 48 and 72 hours.”
The Maltese archbishop entered the hospital Tuesday after starting his interviews with victims and others opposed to the appointment of a bishop accused of covering up for the country's most notorious pedophile priest.
Coiro said the pope has asked that interviews with witnesses continue Wednesday through Friday as planned. They are to be handled by Jordi Bertomeu, a Spanish priest who has been serving as Scicluna's translator and notary.
Scicluna came to Chile to investigate complaints about Bishop Juan Barros, who has been strongly defended until now by the pope.
Barros has been accused by victims of witnessing and ignoring the abuse of young parishioners by the Rev. Fernando Karadima, who was removed from ministry and sentenced to a lifetime of "penance and prayer" in 2010.
Barros has denied knowing of the abuse.
Barros has been a bishop since 1995, but his 2015 appointment to the city of Osorno by Francis caused outrage after the Karadima scandal had eroded the Catholic Church's credibility in Chile. He has faced protests in Osorno by priests and lay Catholics who question how someone who says he never saw anything suspicious at the parish could be trusted to protect Osorno's children today.
Jose Andres Murillo, one of the three victims who have spoken publicly of abuse of Karadima and have accused Barros of a cover-up, came Wednesday to meet with the investigators.