Pope Francis continues his recovery in hospital following an operation. Barbie Nadeau reports from Rome that children in the Gemelli Hospital have sent the Pontiff get-well cards.

Two of Italy’s most powerful octogenarians, Pope Francis and Silvio Berlusconi, whose health conditions have in recent years kept the country in suspense, were both in the hospital Friday.

Pope Francis was doing well on Thursday morning after his first night in hospital following abdominal surgery, the Vatican said. "The night went well," the Vatican said in a brief statement, adding that more information would be released later in the morning.

Pope Francis is sitting up and working from the hospital following a procedure to remove intestinal scar tissue and repair a hernia in his abdominal wall, the Vatican said.

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was re-admitted to hospital in Milan for a scheduled medical checkup on Friday, just weeks after being discharged following a long stay.

MILAN: Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has been hospitalised at San Raffaele hospital in Milan, four sources told Reuters today. One of the sources said Berlusconi had been hospitalised for medical checks.