The key facts

  • Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass at Gemelli Hospital — first photos after removal of a malignant tumor in the right lung
  • Doctors report steady improvement; the pontiff carries out daily activities independently
  • Test results on cancer spread are pending; no discharge date or resumption of duties has been announced

First Photographs After the Surgery

On Friday, October 16, 2026, the Vatican published the first photographs of Pope Leo XIV since the operation to remove a malignant tumor in his right lung. In the images, the 71-year-old pontiff, born in Chicago, stands in green vestments at an improvised altar on the 10th floor of Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he is recovering. Beside him is his personal secretary, the Peruvian priest Edgar Rimaycuna. According to the Vatican press office, he celebrated Mass at noon together with doctors and nurses who were off duty, as well as staff of the Vatican Gendarmerie Corps. In his homily, the pope thanked the staff for their service and care for patients and, in particular, for himself.

Health Condition and Course of Treatment

The pope was hospitalized on Tuesday; the surgery, according to the Vatican, was successful and without complications. For the 'radicality of the intervention,' the entire lower lobe of the right lung was removed. After the operation, the pontiff woke up normally and spent a restful night. The diagnosis — lung adenocarcinoma — was confirmed after examination of a nodule that doctors had already considered 'well-circumscribed' and at an early stage before the surgery; the pope himself announced the need for its removal on Sunday during the prayer in St. Peter's Square. The Vatican emphasized that before the operation the pope had no symptoms of the illness. On Thursday, doctors reported that a chest X-ray showed 'good recovery of the operated lung,' and on Friday they spoke of 'steady improvement in his overall condition.' The medical bulletin was signed by the pope's personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and the head of thoracic surgery at Gemelli, Dr. Stefano Margaritora: the pontiff 'fully independently carries out his usual daily activities.' However, test results on whether the cancer has spread are not yet ready, and they will determine further treatment. The press office did not specify a discharge date, repeating the doctors' initial estimate of recovery in about a week.

Plans and Uncertainty

On Sunday, the pope is expected to lead the traditional Angelus prayer, but a Vatican source declined to specify whether this would be from the hospital or from the Vatican. If the prayer were held from a hospital window, it would not be the first such case: in 2005 John Paul II did so, and in 2021 Francis did so after intestinal surgery. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said on Thursday that it is too early to make predictions about the pope's return to his duties: 'The question is when he will return, in what condition, and what the doctors will say. Based on that, the pope will adjust his pontificate if necessary.' Despite the uncertainty, the Vatican continues preparations for the pope's planned trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17.

Message for World Food Day

On Friday, Pope Leo XIV also sent a message to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on the occasion of World Food Day. He warned against using food as a weapon of war and called on governments to redirect military spending toward the development of sustainable agriculture. In his words, hunger is largely caused by a lack of political will and collective solidarity, and ensuring universal access to safe and sufficient food is 'a duty of justice that rests both on individual states and on the international community.'

Letters from the Hospital Ward

The Vatican also published a selection of letters and drawings from children — patients of the hospital — including a drawing of a tree 'For Pope Leo' and a letter from an 18-year-old girl with the words 'The best days will come for both of us.' Seven-year-old Angelo, who has spent 36 days on the same 10th floor after head surgery, wrote that he prays for the pope with his mother every evening and wishes him a speedy recovery.