Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung during an operation in Rome on Tuesday, the Vatican announced — marking the first major health scare of the 71-year-old pontiff's papacy.
What the Vatican announced
The Holy See Press Office said Tuesday evening that the surgery concluded "according to plan" and that Pope Leo "has returned to his room." The statement, prepared by Dr. Luigi Carbone, the pope's personal physician, and Professor Stefano Margaritora, the thoracic surgeon who led the operation, confirmed that tissue removed during the procedure was examined on the spot.
"The Holy Father underwent thoracic surgery as scheduled," the doctors said. "The lower lobe of the right lung was removed using video-assisted surgery." Further examination of the lobe revealed pulmonary adenocarcinoma — the most common type of non-small cell lung cancer — confirming what pre-operative tests had indicated.
The surgery at Gemelli Hospital
The operation took place Tuesday afternoon at Rome's Agostino Gemelli University Hospital, the medical facility with a long association with the Vatican that has treated popes for decades. The pope spent about three hours in the operating room, though the surgery itself lasted around 90 minutes.
Doctors said the procedure was successful and there were no complications. The pope woke normally after surgery and, after a brief period of observation, returned to his room on the hospital's 10th floor. Holy See press office director Matteo Bruni told reporters the pope even asked for dinner on Tuesday evening.
The surgery was the first hospitalization of Pope Leo's pontificate. The 71-year-old had revealed the lung nodule himself just two days earlier, telling the crowd in St. Peter's Square on Sunday that doctors had found a small growth "at a very early stage" and advised him to have it removed.
What comes next
The Vatican said further postoperative tests, including a full histological examination of the removed tissue, are expected in the coming days, with more updates possible on Wednesday. Vatican sources said the cancerous tissue had been completely removed, that tests were being carried out to determine whether the cancer had spread, and that doctors had not yet discussed chemotherapy.
The pope is expected to spend about a week recovering in hospital, and all of his public audiences have been canceled through October 20. He remains scheduled for an 11-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru starting November 6.
News of the pope's condition drew prayers and well-wishes from leaders around the world. Italian President Sergio Mattarella wrote that the news "was received with deep empathy and emotion by all the Italian people," while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wished him "a successful surgery and a swift, full recovery."
The takeaway: A routine checkup caught the nodule early, and the Vatican says the operation went exactly as planned — but the coming days of test results will determine whether the 71-year-old pope, the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics, needs any further cancer treatment.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Heartbreaking (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources
- CNN: Pope Leo diagnosed with lung cancer and has part of right lung removed, Vatican says
- Reuters: Pope Leo had lobe of lung removed as doctors found cancer, Vatican says
- NPR: Pope Leo has lung cancer, the Vatican announces after surgery
- National Catholic Register: Pope Leo XIV Has Lung Cancer, Vatican Says