Overview
- The Vatican said Saturday that Pope León XIV was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli hospital after doctors found blood tests and a chest X-ray showed steady postoperative improvement.
- Surgeons performed a video‑assisted removal of the lower lobe of his right lung on Oct. 13 to excise an adenocarcinoma in an operation described by multiple reports as routine and without complications.
- While hospitalized the 71‑year‑old pope regained independence, began respiratory physiotherapy, celebrated Mass in a hospital chapel and is slated to pray the Angelus from the Vatican this Sunday.
- Specialists are completing histopathologic and molecular analysis of the removed tissue to establish tumor margins and stage the disease and to decide if adjuvant treatments such as chemotherapy or targeted therapy are needed.
- The operating surgeon has said there are no current clinical reasons to bar the November South America trip, but Vatican officials stress that final travel decisions will wait for the test results and ongoing medical advice, a choice that will affect preparations in Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.