Pope Leo XIV leaves Gemelli Hospital four days after lung cancer surgery

Pope Leo XIV walked out of Rome’s Agostino Gemelli University Hospital on Saturday, October 17, 2026, four days after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung. The 71-year-old pontiff stopped to greet well-wishers and a 13-year-old Ukrainian girl who had recovered from cancer before returning to the Vatican.

Doctors Luigi Carbone, the Pope’s personal physician, and Stefano Margaritora, chief of thoracic surgery, stated that blood tests and a chest X-ray performed that morning showed his clinical condition allowed discharge. The surgery on October 13 lasted about 90 minutes. An intraoperative examination confirmed the removed tissue was adenocarcinoma, a cancer that arises in glandular cells.

The Vatican Press Office said the Pope will recite the traditional Angelus prayer and blessing from the window of the papal apartment on Sunday. His public schedule had been cleared until October 20. The early discharge and planned Sunday appearance surprised many observers, given the initial expectation of a longer stay.

Before leaving, the Pope celebrated Mass in a room on the hospital’s 10th floor and distributed communion to staff and members of the Vatican Gendarmerie. Photographs released earlier showed him performing these duties. He is expected to continue recovery at the Vatican for about one week, according to spokesman Matteo Bruni.

The nodule had been found during routine examinations. The Pope announced the surgery himself during the Angelus on October 11. No further information on whether the cancer has spread has been released. Those close to him said he remains keen not to postpone a planned trip to Latin America in early November that includes Peru, where he previously served as a missionary and bishop.

Gemelli Hospital has long been known as the hospital of the popes. John Paul II spent more than 150 days there across multiple stays after the 1981 assassination attempt. The papal suite on the 10th floor is currently under renovation, so Leo stayed in other rooms on the same floor.

The discharge comes ahead of the originally projected date and allows the Pope to appear in public sooner than many expected. His recovery will be watched closely in the coming days as he resumes limited duties while further test results remain pending.