In brief
Pope Leo XIV will leave Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Saturday afternoon, just two days after a 90‑minute operation that removed a cancerous nodule from the lower lobe of his right lung. The Vatican confirmed that blood tests and a chest X‑ray show steady improvement and that the apostle will give the Angelus prayer in St Peter’s Square this Sunday. Despite the surgery, the Pope will celebrate Mass in the hospital and spoke to President Vladimir Putin calling for dialogue amid escalating conflict in Ukraine. His schedule remains clear until 20 October, with a planned trip to Latin America in November still on the agenda, though his fitness for travel remains uncertain.
On Saturday afternoon, Pope Leo XIV will be discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, a mere four days after a successful operation to remove a cancerous nodule from the lower lobe of his right lung.
According to the Vatican, the pressing of the traditional Angelus prayer and blessing to a crowd in St Peter’s Square is scheduled for Sunday, echoing the surprise announcement made by the Pope last week when he first revealed the surgery to the world.
Photographs released over the weekend showed the pontiff celebrating Mass and distributing Communion to hospital staff, even as doctors reported that blood tests and a chest X‑ray indicated steady improvement.
The nine‑hour procedure involved a 90‑minute operation to remove the lower lobe, and further tests for metastasis are still pending, the Vatican said.
In a remarkable display of diplomatic engagement, the Pope has also called President Vladimir Putin for the first time since June 2025, urging “dialogue and peace” as Russia’s bombardment of Ukrainian cities intensifies.
Additionally, the Pope suggested a humanitarian ceasefire in the Ukrainian city of Oleshkiy, an occupied area under constant shelling, to allow evacuation and the urgent delivery of food and medicine.
While his schedule remains fully cleared until October 20, the quick discharge has surprised the global Catholic community and may signal a temporary return to public duties, including a planned trip to Latin America in early November.
The Vatican has yet to confirm whether the Pope will be fit to travel or if further treatment will be required.
