Pope Leo XIV Leaves Gemelli Hospital Four Days After Lung Surgery

Pope Leo XIV left Rome's Agostino Gemelli Hospital on Saturday afternoon, four days after surgeons removed a malignant nodule and the lower lobe of his right lung. The 71-year-old American pope walked to his car without assistance, paused to greet well-wishers, and returned to the Vatican papal apartments.

Doctors Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora cleared him for discharge after blood tests and a chest X-ray performed that morning showed steady improvement. The surgery on Tuesday lasted about 90 minutes. Further tests to check whether the cancer had spread elsewhere have not yet been released.

Before departing, the pope thanked the surgical team and hospital staff. He also celebrated Mass in a room on the hospital's 10th floor. Vatican officials said he will recite the Angelus prayer and blessing from the window of the Apostolic Palace on Sunday, restoring a public appearance he had made the previous week when he announced the operation.

The Vatican cleared his schedule completely until 20 October. Officials close to him indicated he remains intent on keeping a planned trip to Latin America in early November that includes Peru, where he worked as a missionary for years. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See Secretary of State, told reporters on Friday that travel decisions will depend on how the pope feels after leaving hospital.

This marks the first major health episode of Leo XIV's papacy, which began in May 2025. The speed of his discharge surprised some observers given the nature of the procedure, yet the clinical updates issued by the hospital and Holy See Press Office have been consistent and limited to observable test results. Photographs released earlier in the week showed him celebrating Mass for staff while still hospitalized.

The pope's decision to return to public prayer so quickly after partial lung removal leaves open the practical question of how long his recovery will take before he resumes a full schedule. Doctors have not published a detailed prognosis beyond the clearance to leave hospital. Catholics worldwide now wait to see whether the planned Latin American journey proceeds or is adjusted once he is back in the Vatican.