Pope Leo returns to Vatican four days after lung cancer surgery

Pope Leo had an operation on Tuesday to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, and will hold his first public engagement since surgery on Sunday.

Pope Leo left the hospital in Rome on Saturday afternoon and returned to the Vatican four days after surgery for lung cancer, an illness that has prompted speculation about how it might affect his 17-month papacy.

The 71-year-old walked unaided to his waiting car, waving to well-wishers outside Rome's Gemelli Hospital. He stopped to speak to a 13-year-old girl named Varvara from Ukraine who has been in Italy for cancer treatment.

He was pictured smiling broadly and waving through an open window when his black SUV left the hospital. He waved again to crowds as he was driven back into the Vatican but did not speak to anyone there before re-entering the world's smallest country.

His doctors had said earlier on Saturday that he was well enough to return home after they carried out the latest blood tests and chest imaging, and that he was able to perform normal daily activities independently.

Leo, who had an operation on Tuesday to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, will hold his first public engagement since surgery when he will lead weekly prayers with pilgrims in St. Peter's Square at noon (1000 GMT) on Sunday.

He has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer. The diagnosis for a pope known to be relatively young and energetic and who was elected only in May 2025 caused shock and raised questions about the future shape of his papacy as he deals with the illness.

The pope's doctors have said his surgery was completed successfully, without complications. They have not yet disclosed the size of the tumor or whether the disease had spread to nearby lymph nodes, key factors in determining prognosis.

Pope pursues packed agenda

The Vatican signaled on Friday that Leo, known for following a busy schedule, intended to keep up his commitments, as some cardinals began to publicly express concern about the pope's health.

In a sign the pope was back to work, Leo held a phone call on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging a ceasefire to help get vital supplies into the Russian-controlled Ukrainian town of Oleshky.

The Vatican said work on Leo's November 6 to 17 visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, one of the most intense arranged for a pope in decades, was also "going forward." It released a list of journalists accredited to travel with Leo and cover the trip.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, said on Friday that Leo may need to adjust the pace of his schedule going forward "according to the condition of his health." It is unusual for a cardinal to say openly that a pope might need to modify his routine.

On Friday, the Vatican released the first images of the pope since his surgery, ​showing him celebrating Mass and standing unaided.