Vatican: Pope Leo XIV's health cannot be taken 'for granted', Archbishop Gallagher says

The key facts

Pope Leo XIV was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma after Tuesday's surgery at the Gemelli hospital in Rome; the Vatican called the operation successful, with no complications.
Archbishop Paul Gallagher: the Pope's health had perhaps been 'a bit taken for granted'; the news is a 'game changer'.
The Vatican reports steady improvement; the Pope is expected to hold the Sunday prayer, with discharge expected in about a week.

Diagnosis after surgery

Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery at Rome's Gemelli hospital on Tuesday afternoon, during which the lower lobe of his right lung was removed. The Vatican described the procedure as successful and free of complications. After examining the removed nodule, the medical team confirmed that it was, 'as pre-operative tests had suggested', a lung adenocarcinoma. The Pontiff himself announced the operation during his weekly Sunday prayer, telling those gathered in St Peter's Square that doctors had found a nodule on his lung. The Vatican stressed that before the procedure the Pope had shown no symptoms of infection or illness.

Archbishop Gallagher's words

Archbishop Paul Gallagher, who has served as the Vatican's foreign minister since 2014, said in an interview with Radio 4 (The Sunday Programme) that the Pope's health had perhaps been 'a bit forgotten', taken 'for granted'. In his words, the news of the illness is 'in a sense a turning point' after the final years of Francis's pontificate, during which the Pope moved around in a wheelchair: 'Then along came Leo — sporty, seemingly in excellent health, and now we are told he is not in excellent health, and things need to be put in order.' Gallagher added that church figures may have believed the Pope was 'not quite like the rest of us, who are very well aware of our vulnerability and the ageing process'. He admitted he was worried and wondered how the illness had been detected. At the same time, he expressed hope that, like many others who have been through a similar experience, the Pope will cope.

The Pope's condition and plans

The Vatican reports a steady improvement in the Pope's condition in hospital; he is expected to lead the Sunday prayer. The Angelus prayer is traditionally recited in the Vatican before the crowd in St Peter's Square, but pontiffs have previously, when necessary, delivered it from a hospital window. No discharge date has been given, but recovery is expected to take about a week. After the operation, the first photo of the Pope was published — he is celebrating Mass in the hospital.

On a possible visit to the United Kingdom

Gallagher, a Liverpool native, also said he expects the Pope to visit the United Kingdom at some point. 'We exchanged a few views,' he noted. 'He is only beginning to think about what he might do in 2027, but that is still at the stage of exploring possibilities.' According to him, the Pope 'would bring a spirit of renewed hope' — following the enthusiastic reception in France and Spain earlier this year. 'But such things require considerable preparation, so it is not done overnight,' the archbishop added.