Overview
- Surgeons at Rome’s Gemelli Clinic removed the lower lobe of Pope Leo XIV’s right lung after finding a malignant tumor during an operation performed earlier this week.
- Doctors cleared the 71-year-old for discharge after chest X‑rays and blood tests, and he left the hospital on Saturday following thorough examinations by the surgical team.
- The Pope returned to the Vatican and spoke the Angelus from his office window on Sunday, thanking medical staff and supporters and saying he will resume duties gradually.
- Lead surgeon Stefano Margaritora said a full recovery could take about ten days and that, from a medical standpoint, there is currently no objection to the planned November visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, though some experts urged caution over the tight schedule.
- Vatican officials will monitor follow-up tests and the Pope’s mobility in the coming days before confirming public engagements and the South America trip, while his public remarks stressed solidarity with other cancer patients.