Pope Leo XIV to Return to Vatican After Lung Cancer Surgery
Pope Leo XIV will leave the Rome hospital on Saturday after recovering from lung cancer surgery, with plans to return to the Vatican and recite the Angelus prayer.
Pope Leo XIV is set to leave the Rome hospital on Saturday after recovering from lung cancer surgery, according to an announcement from the Vatican. The 71-year-old pontiff has been staying at the Gemelli hospital north of the Vatican since Tuesday, when medical staff removed part of his right lung to extract a cancerous tumor. A scheduled discharge marks the conclusion of this initial post-operative hospital stay, reflecting the medical team’s assessment of his condition.
In a published medical note, doctors Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora stated that the Holy Father was deemed fit for discharge after evaluations of his clinical picture, blood tests, and a morning chest X-ray. This official clearance signifies that his immediate post-surgical recovery has proceeded according to clinical expectations. The Vatican confirmed that he will depart the hospital in the early afternoon to return to the Vatican, where he is scheduled to resume his public routine.
On Sunday, Leo plans to recite the Angelus prayer from the window of the papal apartment, resuming the traditional practice usually held from the window of the Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter’s Square. Former popes John Paul II and Francis also delivered the prayer from their hospital windows during past stays at the Gemelli. Meanwhile, the Vatican press office noted that Leo celebrated mass on Saturday in his 10th-floor recovery room, continuing a routine maintained throughout recent days.
News of the tumor removal has unsettled the Vatican and the global Catholic population of 1.4 billion, particularly given the pope’s otherwise healthy and sporty background. His medical team reported that recovery is progressing normally while they await further test results to determine subsequent treatment steps. Despite his recuperation, Leo has resumed limited duties, including a telephone call on Friday to Russian President Vladimir Putin to urge a ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky.
Uncertainty remains regarding a planned papal voyage to South America scheduled for November 6 through 17, which includes visits to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. Observers familiar with the Vatican note that Leo, who spent two decades as a missionary in Peru, is eager to undertake the long journey, though his final decision will likely depend on medical recommendations. All papal audiences have been canceled through October 20. The pope initially disclosed the medical finding to the public last Sunday in St. Peter’s Square following the Angelus prayer, explaining that a routine medical examination had uncovered a nodule requiring removal.
