In brief
After a 90‑minute operation to excise the lower lobe of his right lung, Pope Leo XIV is showing encouraging signs of recovery, including walking and resuming a normal diet. Doctors at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital confirmed the procedure was successful and complication‑free. The pontiff, who received the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma during routine tests, will remain in hospital for about a week as he undergoes physiotherapy and further monitoring. The news has shocked Catholics worldwide, adding a new chapter to the longest-serving pope’s life and work. The Vatican continues to emphasise the early stage of the tumour and the excellent outcome of the surgery.
Pope Leo XIV, 71, has begun walking again and is eating a normal diet after a 90‑minute operation to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, Vatican doctors say.
The Papal Visit to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday afternoon proved successful and uncomplicated, according to a Vatican statement. Blood tests and an X‑ray on early Wednesday confirmed that the Pope’s recovery was proceeding normally, and he is now undergoing respiratory physiotherapy.
The operation was described by the Vatican as “radical” – removing the entire lower lobe to ensure that any tumorous tissue was fully excised. The Nodule was identified in the lung by routine checks, and upon closer laboratory examination it was confirmed to be an adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer.
The Pope had previously announced his planned operation during his Sunday prayers in St. Peter’s Square, telling the crowd that doctors had found a “well‑contained” nodule and had advised removal. Although the papal health team found no signs of spread, further tests were carried out to be certain that the cancer had not metastasised.
The news has startled Catholic communities worldwide, as it follows Pope Francis’s own hospital visits more recently and comes a year after the death of Pope Benedict XVI, who had once had part of his lung removed in his youth. Pope Leo XIV remains in hospital for an estimated week as he continues to recover and undergo ongoing examinations.
