Newsletters
Doctors removed the lower lobe of Pope Leo XIV’s right lung on Tuesday after discovering a cancerous growth, the Vatican said, adding that the pontiff “woke up normally” after the operation and has returned to his hospital room.
A Vatican source said the pope asked for dinner after the procedure. Asked whether there was any sign the cancer had spread, the source said further tests were being carried out.
The Vatican said the operation at Rome’s Gemelli hospital “confirmed the diagnosis of a pulmonary adenocarcinoma, as suspected from the pre-operative tests.” Adenocarcinoma is a cancer that begins in gland cells and is among the most common forms of lung cancer.
The pope spent about three hours in the operating room, while the surgery itself lasted roughly 90 minutes. Surgeons removed the lower lobe “to ensure the procedure was radical,” the statement said. It described the operation as successful and said there were “no complications.”
The Vatican expects the pope to recover in his room on the hospital’s 10th floor for several days. His audiences have been cancelled until October 20.
The operation raises questions about a lengthy trip to South America scheduled for November 6 to 17, when Leo is due to visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. It was not immediately clear what would happen if he needed a longer recovery.
Leo, 71, entered the hospital smiling and waving on Tuesday morning, hours before the surgery. It is his first hospitalization since he became head of the Catholic Church on May 8, 2025.
Leo announced the issue himself after Angelus prayers in St Peter’s Square on Sunday, telling crowds that doctors had found a nodule “at a very early stage” during medical checks. “The doctors believe it would be right to intervene,” he said.
The Vatican told AFP the nodule was discovered during routine health checks and that no symptoms had prompted doctors to examine the pope’s lungs. The Chicago-born Leo, the first U.S. pope, is sporty and was generally believed to be in good health.
Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the vicar general for the Diocese of Rome, led a rosary for the pope in the hospital chapel, which the Vatican broadcast. Dozens of people attended, and Reina asked all the city’s parishes to join in prayer.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, told the ANSA news agency that Leo had been “very calm” about his condition when they met on Monday.
Outside the hospital, Giorgia Fei, a 57-year-old Italian, said she had been worried but felt the pope was “in very good hands” with “outstanding doctors.” Giuseppe Purpura, 72, said he had not expected the news. “He’s still quite young,” he said, adding that “thankfully it was caught in time.”
The Vatican has historically been secretive about popes’ health but became more open during the illness of Leo’s predecessor, Francis, who freely discussed his ailments.
Under Church law, a figure known as the Cardinal Camerlengo, or chamberlain, takes over administrative duties if a pope dies. Pontiffs, however, have no deputy to replace them if they become incapacitated.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
