Pope Leo Leaves Hospital After Lung Cancer Surgery

Pope Leo XIV has been discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital four days after surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his right lung. The 71-year-old left the hospital walking unaided and spoke briefly with well-wishers. The Vatican says he plans to deliver the traditional Angelus prayer and blessing in St Peter’s Square on Sunday, after appearing there last week to announce that he would undergo surgery. Photographs released on Friday showed him celebrating Mass and distributing communion in hospital. His doctors reported “steady improvement” based on blood tests and a chest X-ray. The operation, performed on Tuesday and lasting 90 minutes, involved removing the lower lobe of his right lung. Further test results that could show whether the cancer has spread have not yet been made public. The article also reports on the Pope’s call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, their first conversation since June 2025. The Vatican said Leo urged “dialogue and peace” as Russia’s bombardment of Ukrainian cities intensifies and civilian casualties grow. The Pope separately called for a humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshkiy, a Russian-occupied Ukrainian city under shelling, so residents could be evacuated and receive food and medicine. The BBC had previously reported that some residents were eating garden weeds to survive. Although the Pope’s schedule had been cleared through 20 October, his early return to public duties surprised observers and may reassure Catholics. People close to him say he hopes to keep a planned early-November trip to Latin America, including Peru, where he served as a missionary. It remains uncertain whether he will be well enough to travel or will need additional treatment.

Pope Leo XIV has been shown celebrating Mass at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital in the first images released since he underwent surgery to remove part of his right lung. The Vatican said the operation, performed on Tuesday, was successful and had no complications. Afterward, doctors diagnosed the 71-year-old pontiff with lung adenocarcinoma, confirming that a lung nodule identified before surgery was cancerous. The Vatican had previously described the nodule as well-contained and detected at an early stage, and said Leo had shown no symptoms of infection or illness before the procedure. The images show the Chicago-born Pope in a green robe behind a makeshift altar on the hospital’s tenth floor. He celebrated Mass with medical and nursing staff and thanked them for their service. Doctors reported a steady improvement in his general condition and said a chest X-ray showed good recovery of the operated lung. The Vatican said the entire lower lobe of his right lung was removed to ensure the procedure was radical. Leo is expected to remain in hospital for about a week. While recovering, Leo also called Russian President Vladimir Putin to urge a ceasefire in Oleshky, a Russian-occupied Ukrainian city where thousands have reportedly been cut off from food and water. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, expressed hope that Putin’s participation in the call meant the Pope’s request would be acted upon. The Kremlin said it supported the Vatican’s efforts to help ensure residents’ safety and arrange vital supplies, and that cooperation had been agreed, though its statement did not explicitly mention a ceasefire. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk also called for action, describing conditions in Oleshky as desperate.

The Vatican released the first photographs of Pope Leo XIV since he underwent surgery to remove part of his right lung and was diagnosed with lung cancer. The images show the 71-year-old American-born pope celebrating Mass in a chapel at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where he is recovering. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Leo presided alone, distributed Communion to medical personnel and Vatican gendarmes, and thanked hospital staff in his homily for caring for vulnerable people and for him personally. Doctors reported that tests showed steady improvement and said Leo could carry out his usual daily activities independently. He had resumed some work, including reading documents and co-celebrating Mass, and met with Archbishop Paolo Rudelli. The Vatican said he spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the humanitarian situation in Oleshky, Ukraine. Leo called for a ceasefire to enable food and medical aid to reach the area and civilians to be evacuated safely, while reaffirming the Holy See’s commitment to dialogue and peace. He also met with Cardinals Luis Antonio Tagle and Baldassare Reina. The Vatican said Leo was expected to make his first public appearance since the surgery on Sunday, delivering the traditional noontime prayer. His planned November trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru remained uncertain, though the publication of the journalists’ accreditation list suggested preparations were continuing. The Vatican also shared get-well messages from patients in Gemelli’s pediatric oncology ward. A 7-year-old patient named Angelo said he and his mother prayed for the pope, while university-aged Giorgia described feeling a connection with Leo because they were both dealing with illness and asked him to pray for her as well.

Pope Leo XIV was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Saturday, four days after surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung. The 71-year-old pope left through the hospital’s main entrance, where a crowd cheered. He greeted people, spoke briefly with a young woman holding a doll depicting him, and waved as he departed. His motorcade arrived at Vatican City at 3:43 p.m. local time. Leo was initially expected to stay in the hospital until October 20. However, he resumed some work on Thursday, and doctors reported Friday that tests showed “steady improvement in his recovery.” His personal physician and surgeon said he was fit to leave following Saturday morning’s blood tests, chest X-ray, and clinical assessment. The Vatican has not publicly shared a prognosis. The Vatican said Leo would recite the Angelus prayer from the papal apartment window on Sunday. During his hospitalization, he also spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing concern about the humanitarian situation in Oleshky, Ukraine. He held separate meetings with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle and Cardinal Baldassare Reina. The Vatican also released photographs of Leo celebrating Mass in a hospital chapel. The pope’s planned South American trip next month has been uncertain since his lung cancer diagnosis. The Vatican’s publication of the journalists accredited to travel on the papal plane to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru suggested the trip was still expected to proceed.

Pope Leo XIV left Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Saturday afternoon, four days after undergoing surgery for lung cancer, according to the report. The 71-year-old pontiff was described as walking unaided to his car and pausing to speak with people who had gathered outside the hospital. Before approving his return home, his doctors conducted blood tests and imaging scans of his chest and concluded that he was well enough to leave. He returned to the Vatican. The article provides no further detail about the surgery, the findings of the tests, his recovery plan, or the nature and stage of the cancer. It also does not quote the pope or his doctors directly. A brief notice says that more information is forthcoming. The report is a short health update focused on the pope’s discharge from hospital and the immediate circumstances of his departure. Its account emphasizes the medical assessment that preceded his release and his visible condition as he left, while offering no prognosis or additional clinical information.

Pope Leo XIV has left Rome’s Gemelli Hospital after undergoing surgery on his right lung, the Vatican said. The 71-year-old pontiff had been admitted for the operation on Tuesday and was discharged on Saturday after doctors reviewed his condition. The Vatican press office said he would return to the Vatican in the early afternoon and lead the Angelus prayer from the window of the papal apartment the following day. AFP reported that people gathered outside the hospital cheered and applauded as he departed. Doctors approved the discharge after blood tests and a chest X-ray indicated that Leo was fit to leave. The Vatican had previously said surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung after diagnosing pulmonary adenocarcinoma, a cancer suspected from pre-operative tests. It reported that the operation lasted about 90 minutes, with the pontiff in the operating room for around three hours, and that the surgery was successful with no complications. On Thursday, doctors said imaging showed good recovery of the affected lung. The report describes the discharge and the medical updates provided by the Vatican and Leo’s doctors. It does not provide further details about his treatment or longer-term prognosis.

Pope Leo XIV called Russian President Vladimir Putin while recovering in hospital from lung surgery, urging a ceasefire in the Russian-controlled Ukrainian city of Oleshky to allow humanitarian aid and the safe, voluntary evacuation of civilians. The Vatican said the pope was deeply concerned about the severe conditions in the city and reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to dialogue and peace. Oleshky, in Ukraine’s Kherson region, has reportedly received no humanitarian food deliveries since May. The city also lacks electricity, gas and running water, and its hospital is barely functional. The Kremlin and Ukraine assign blame differently: Putin told the pope that the Kyiv government was responsible for the humanitarian crisis, according to the Kremlin’s account of the call. Moscow also said Putin supported the Vatican’s efforts to improve civilian safety and facilitate essential supplies. The call took place as the 71-year-old pope recovered from a procedure to remove the lower lobe of his right lung after being diagnosed with lung cancer. He remained hospitalized on Friday, but his doctors reported continued improvement and said he could carry out his normal daily activities independently. During his hospital stay, he celebrated Mass in a makeshift chapel; the Vatican released images showing him at an altar. He was expected to deliver the traditional Angelus prayer on Sunday, either from the hospital or the Vatican, and remained scheduled to travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru beginning November 6.

Pope Leo XIV was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Saturday after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous nodule from his right lung. The Holy See said doctors assessed him that morning and considered him well enough to return to the Vatican. He was expected to lead the Angelus prayer from the window of the papal apartment the following day. Blood tests and a chest X-ray reportedly supported the decision to discharge him. Before leaving, the pope visited the hospital’s children’s oncology ward, where he had received letters from young patients. One girl, Eleonora, wrote that she and others were praying for him and expressed gratitude that her own health had improved. Pope Leo underwent thoracic surgery on Tuesday. Doctors later diagnosed him with lung adenocarcinoma, a type of lung cancer. The Holy See said the operation lasted about 90 minutes, the pope spent approximately three hours in the operating room, and the procedure was successful without complications. Vatican News reported that he awoke normally and returned to his hospital room after a short period of observation. While recovering, the pope also spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the humanitarian crisis in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky, in the Kherson region. According to the Vatican, Leo urged a ceasefire so food and medical aid could be delivered and civilians could be evacuated voluntarily and safely. He reiterated the Holy See’s commitment to dialogue and peace. The article reports that Russian forces have controlled Oleshky since May and that the city lacks electricity, gas, and running water; its hospital is barely functioning. It also says humanitarian food deliveries have not been allowed into the city. The report closes by noting that Fox News Digital contacted the Holy See for further comment.

Pope Leo XIV was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli University Hospital on Saturday, four days after surgeons removed part of his right lung to extract a cancerous tumour. At 71, Leo had been admitted on Tuesday. Doctors Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora said blood tests, a chest X-ray and their assessment of his clinical condition showed that he was fit to leave. The Vatican said he would return to the Vatican and recite the Angelus prayer from the window of the papal apartment the following day. Leo had continued to celebrate Mass in a hospital room during his stay. The article notes that previous popes John Paul II and Francis also delivered the Angelus from Gemelli while hospitalised. Outside the hospital, 12-year-old Varvara Struck, a Ukrainian former cancer patient who had met Leo in Rome the previous year, expressed support for him and hoped he would recover as quickly as she had. Although the pope’s recovery was described as progressing normally, test results were still awaited to determine what further action might be needed. The news of the tumour had unsettled the Vatican and the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. Leo had resumed some work, including a Friday call to Russian President Vladimir Putin urging a ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky. His planned November 6–17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru remained uncertain; the article says he is eager to make the journey, having spent two decades as a missionary in Peru, but is expected to follow medical advice. He cancelled all audiences through October 20. Leo had told the public the previous Sunday that a routine examination had found a nodule doctors recommended removing.

Pope Leo XIV is expected to leave Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic on Saturday, four days after surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung. The Vatican says he will return there and deliver the traditional noon blessing from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square on Sunday. The 71-year-old pope’s surgery followed the discovery of a suspected cancerous lung nodule; doctors confirmed it was adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer. His physician and surgeon approved his discharge after reviewing Saturday morning’s blood tests, chest X-ray and clinical assessment. Leo had announced the nodule and planned surgery to worshippers the previous Sunday. Since the operation, he has shown signs of recovery: he spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, met senior aides and celebrated Mass in the hospital chapel. Doctors said he had been able to resume normal daily activities independently. Images released by the Vatican on Friday showed him standing at an altar in the chapel. He celebrated the liturgy, distributed Communion to medical personnel and Vatican gendarmes, and thanked hospital staff for their care of patients and of him personally. The Vatican had initially anticipated a weeklong hospital stay and cancelled the pope’s audiences through Tuesday. His planned Nov. 6–17 trip to Latin America remains on the agenda, with the Vatican publishing the names of journalists accredited to travel on his plane. The journey would involve 12 flights and two helicopter trips, and would take place about three weeks after his discharge. Oncology surgeons say patients are generally cleared to fly after three weeks if recovery permits. However, tests are still pending to determine the cancer’s molecular and genetic characteristics, whether it has spread beyond the removed lung lobe, and whether additional treatment is needed.

Pope Leo XIV called Russian President Vladimir Putin while recovering in the hospital from surgery to urge a cease-fire in Oleshky, a Russian-controlled city in Ukraine’s Kherson region. According to the Vatican, the pope raised the city’s severe humanitarian conditions and called for a pause in fighting so food and medical assistance could be delivered and civilians could be evacuated safely and voluntarily. The Vatican also said he reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to dialogue and peace. The article describes Oleshky’s situation as dire: humanitarian food deliveries have been blocked since May, the city lacks electricity, gas and running water, and its hospital is barely functional. The Kremlin offered a different account of responsibility, saying Putin told the pope that Ukraine’s government was responsible for the humanitarian crisis. It also said Putin supported the Vatican’s efforts to improve civilian safety and facilitate essential supplies. Leo, 71, had undergone a procedure to remove the lower lobe of his right lung after being diagnosed with lung cancer. While still hospitalized, he celebrated Mass in a makeshift chapel, and the Vatican released the first post-surgery images of him. His doctors reported continued improvement and said he could manage his normal daily activities independently. He was expected to deliver the traditional Angelus prayer on Sunday, either from the hospital or the Vatican, and his planned November 6 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru remained on schedule.

Pope Leo XIV is expected to leave Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Saturday afternoon, four days after surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung. The Vatican said he was cleared for discharge after doctors reviewed blood tests, a chest X-ray and his clinical condition. The operation followed the discovery of a suspected cancerous nodule and confirmed adenocarcinoma, described in the article as the most common type of lung cancer. The 71-year-old pope is scheduled to give the traditional noon blessing from a window overlooking St Peter’s Square on Sunday. It would be his first public appearance since he was admitted to hospital. The Vatican also reported signs of recovery during his stay: Leo spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, met senior aides and celebrated Mass in the hospital chapel. Images released on Friday showed him standing at an altar in green vestments. At the Mass, he distributed Communion to medical personnel and Vatican gendarmes and thanked hospital staff for their care. Doctors are still waiting for test results that will clarify the cancer’s molecular and genetic characteristics, whether it has spread beyond the removed lung lobe, and whether additional treatment is required. The article notes that Leo plans to visit Latin America from November 6 to 17. The itinerary is expected to involve 12 flights and two helicopter journeys, leaving about three weeks for recovery after his discharge. The Vatican has published the names of journalists accredited to accompany him, suggesting preparations for the trip are continuing.