Pope Leo XIV to be discharged from hospital and return to Vatican after surgery to remove lung cancer
Pope Leo XIV will be discharged from Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Saturday following surgery to remove a cancerous node in his lung, according to a statement from the Holy See.
"Following the doctors’ assessment this morning, Pope Leo XIV will be discharged today from Gemelli Hospital, where he was hospitalized for surgery on his right lung," the statement read.
"He will leave the hospital in the early afternoon and return to the Vatican. Tomorrow, he will lead the Angelus prayer from the window of the papal apartment," the statement added.
The pope received blood tests and a chest X-ray Saturday, both of which confirmed he is well enough to return to the Vatican, according to Vatican News.
Pope Leo XIV leaves the Vatican before being admitted to Rome's Gemelli University Hospital for an operation to remove a lump from his lung, in the Vatican on 13 October 2026. (Tiziana FABI / AFP via Getty Images)
The pope will celebrate mass in a room on the 10th floor of Gemelli Hospital before returning to the Vatican, according to the Holy See press office.
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Pope Leo underwent thoracic surgery to remove the node on Tuesday. Following the successful surgery, doctors diagnosed him with lung adenocarcinoma, a form of lung cancer.
"The Pope was in the operating room approximately three hours, while the operation itself lasted about 90 minutes. The doctors said it was successful and there were no complications," a statement from the Holy See press office read.
Pope Leo XIV arrives at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, where he underwent surgery to remove a lung nodule. (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)
"Pope Leo awoke normally after surgery and, following a brief period of observation, returned to his room on the hospital’s 10th floor," Vatican News added in a statement.
While recovering, Pope Leo called Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged him to call for a ceasefire in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky.
POPE LEO XIV SEEN FOR FIRST TIME SINCE LUNG CANCER SURGERY AMID MAJOR RECOVERY MILESTONE
"During the conversation, the Holy Father expressed his deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky, in the Kherson region, and called for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of food and medical assistance and the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population," a statement from the Vatican read.
"Finally, the Holy Father reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to promoting dialogue and peace," the statement added.
Pope Leo called Russian President Vladimir Putin while recovering from lung surgery to discuss Ukraine. (Vatican Media via AP; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Russia has controlled the southern Ukrainian city since May and has not allowed any humanitarian food deliveries in the city. Oleshky also has no electricity, gas or running water, and the hospital is barely functional, according to previous Fox News Digital reporting.
Fox News Digital contacted the Holy See for further comment.
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