Pope Leo XIV Discharged From Hospital Four Days After Lung Cancer Surgery

Pope Leo XIV left Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital in Rome on Saturday, October 17, just four days after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous nodule from the lower lobe of his right lung. The Holy See Press Office announced the discharge early Saturday after the 71-year-old pontiff's personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and head of thoracic surgery at Gemelli, Professor Stefano Margaritora, reviewed blood tests and a chest X-ray and deemed him fit to leave. The Vatican said he returned to the Vatican in the early afternoon.

The nodule removed on Tuesday, October 13, was determined to be pulmonary adenocarcinoma, the most common subtype of lung cancer. The surgery marked the first significant health scare of Leo's papacy. His doctors have so far given no indication that further treatment will be required.

The swift recovery clears the way for the pope's upcoming schedule. The Vatican said Leo XIV is expected to recite the Angelus prayer from the window of the papal apartment at St. Peter's Basilica on Sunday, signaling a rapid return to public duties.