Pope Leo XIV recovers in Rome hospital after surgery to remove part of lung

Surgery and Diagnosis

Pope Leo XIV is recovering at Rome's Gemelli Hospital following a ninety-minute operation on Tuesday to remove the lower lobe of his right lung. Doctors used video-assisted surgery to take out the affected tissue, which was subsequently confirmed to be pulmonary adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer. The Vatican stated that the operation went according to plan without complications, and the seventy-one-year-old pontiff woke up normally before returning to his room. Medical tests are ongoing to check if the cancer has spread, though doctors found the growth at an early stage.

Public Reaction and Schedule

The Pope first told the public about the upcoming procedure on Sunday from the balcony in St Peter's Square during the Angelus blessing, explaining that doctors advised him to remove a contained growth. Large crowds gathered outside the hospital on Tuesday to wish him well as he arrived. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin admitted the news came as a surprise, but noted that church leaders remain confident in his recovery because of the Pope's calm attitude. All papal events are cancelled until October twentieth to give him time to rest, though he had wanted the surgery done quickly to keep a planned trip to Latin America in early November.

Context

Gemelli Hospital in Rome has a long history of treating pontiffs, featuring a dedicated papal suite on its tenth floor. While the Pope remains hospitalized, routine Vatican operations continue, though documents needing his personal signature are put on hold. Previous popes like John Paul the Second and Francis also managed church affairs and issued statements during their stays at the same medical facility.