Pope Leo XIV to leave hospital days after lung cancer surgery

Pope Leo XIV is due to leave Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Saturday, four days after surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his right lung. He is expected to lead the Angelus prayer in St Peter’s Square on Sunday, the Vatican says.

The 90-minute operation included removal of the lower lobe of the Pope’s right lung. His doctors reported “steady improvement” in blood tests and a chest X-ray, but results from further tests to check whether the cancer has spread have not yet been announced.

Photographs released on Friday showed Leo celebrating Mass and distributing communion to hospital staff. His schedule had been cleared until 20 October.

The Pope’s early return to public duties comes as uncertainty remains over his recovery and travel plans. A visit to Latin America, including Peru, is planned for early November, but it is not yet clear whether he will be fit to travel or need further treatment, the BBC reports. [1]

On Friday, Leo also spoke by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time since June 2025. The Vatican said the Pope urged “dialogue and peace”. He separately called for a humanitarian ceasefire in the Ukrainian city of Oleshkiy to allow evacuations and the delivery of food and medicine. [1]