In brief
After a 90‑minute operation to remove a lung nodule, Pope Leo XIV was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. Pathology confirmed a localized lung adenocarcinoma and no further oncological therapy is required. The 71‑year‑old returned to St. Peter’s Square for a general audience and is slated for a Latin‑American tour in early November. The papal visit follows his recent diplomatic outreach to Ukraine and Russia during the ongoing conflict.
Pope Leo XIV has been declared free from further oncological treatment following a successful operation to excise a cancerous growth from his left lung.
Pathology reports confirmed the tumour was a lung adenocarcinoma and that it was confined to the removed section, meaning the disease was localized and no additional therapy such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy is required.
The 71‑year‑old was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital four days after the 90‑minute procedure, during which the lower lobe of his right lung was removed.
He appeared in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday for his first general audience since leaving the hospital, addressing the faithful and summarising his recovery.
During the operation he had previously announced that doctors had identified a lung nodule, which he described as caught “at an early stage.”
According to a Vatican statement, an oncological assessment confirmed that no further treatment is necessary, allowing Pope Leo to return to his normal schedule of pastoral duties.
In the days following his discharge, the pontiff visited the hospital in green vestments for a Mass and made phone calls to world leaders, urging dialogue and peace amid Russia’s blockade of the Ukrainian town of Oleshky.
The Pope is also set to travel to Latin America early next month, a trip that had been delayed by his illness but is now expected to proceed once he has fully recovered.
