Pope Leo XIV Walks and Eats After Lung Cancer Surgery at Gemelli Hospital

Pope Leo XIV walked around his hospital room, ate breakfast and lunch, and began respiratory physiotherapy on 14 October, one day after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.

The 71-year-old pontiff, elected in May 2025 as the first American pope, underwent the procedure on 13 October after tests revealed a suspicious nodule. Doctors confirmed the tissue was lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer. The surgery lasted about 90 minutes and was described as successful, with no immediate complications. The Vatican said the growth had been detected at an early stage and appeared localised.

On the morning of 14 October, blood tests and a chest X-ray showed values within the expected range for the operation, according to a joint statement from the pope’s personal physician, Dr Luigi Carbone, and thoracic surgeon Dr Stefano Margaritora. The doctors noted that the pope had resumed a regular diet and that recovery was proceeding as planned. He spent the night of 13–14 October quietly.

All public audiences have been cancelled through 20 October. The Vatican has not yet indicated whether further treatment, such as chemotherapy, will be required; those decisions await additional pathology results. Specialists outside the Vatican have said that video-assisted minimally invasive surgery of this type typically allows patients to walk within 48 to 72 hours, with full recovery from the procedure itself taking 15 to 20 days if no complications arise.

The hospitalisation is the first major public health episode of Leo XIV’s 17-month papacy. Previous popes often kept medical details private; the current Vatican has released regular updates, including the diagnosis and daily progress. The pope is staying on the 10th floor of Gemelli, near the papal suite used by earlier pontiffs. A statue of Pope John Paul II stands outside the hospital entrance, where some faithful have gathered.

Peruvian officials, noting Leo’s long service in the country as bishop of Chiclayo, have expressed hope that he will still be able to make a planned visit beginning 11 November, though the pace of recovery will determine the schedule. Augustinian Father John Lydon, a longtime friend, said he remained confident in the medical team while praying that chemotherapy would not be needed.

The diagnosis has raised practical questions for the governance of the Catholic Church. While the pope is hospitalised, routine administration continues through the Roman Curia. No formal contingency for incapacity has been activated. The early-stage nature of the cancer, if confirmed by further tests, would leave open the possibility that Leo can resume a normal public schedule within weeks, but the results of the biopsy and staging will set the actual timeline.

For now the Vatican’s message is limited to the clinical facts: the surgery achieved its immediate goal, initial tests are normal, and the pope is walking and eating. Further medical bulletins are expected in the coming days as the removed tissue is examined more fully.