The key facts

  • On October 13, the Pope's lower lobe of the right lung was removed; histology confirmed adenocarcinoma
  • On October 18, Leo XIV led the Angelus before thousands of faithful and promised to gradually return to work
  • The surgeon sees no obstacles to the November 6–17 visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru; test results on cancer spread are not yet ready

First appearance after surgery

Pope Leo XIV made his first public appearance on Sunday, October 18, after undergoing lung surgery. From the window of the Apostolic Palace, he led the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer before thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter's Square. The crowd greeted him with cries of 'Viva il papa!'. According to AFP, the 71-year-old pontiff looked well and spoke normally. He thanked the people who had prayed for him and said that, having overcome a 'delicate phase,' he would gradually resume his activities. According to Vatican News, the Pope added that what he had experienced had especially brought him closer to the sick, and that he would return to his duties with God's help and the prayers of the faithful.

Surgery and diagnosis

On October 13, at Rome's Gemelli hospital, the Pope's lower lobe of the right lung was removed via a 90-minute video-assisted procedure. The Vatican called the surgery successful; histological examination confirmed lung adenocarcinoma. Leo XIV announced the discovery of a nodule in his lung on October 11. According to surgeon Stefano Margaritora, the tumor was found by chance during a routine abdominal X-ray — a 'small spot' at the base of the right lung. He called the operation routine, performed without complications, and estimated full recovery at about ten days, describing the Pope's condition as 'absolutely satisfactory.'

Recovery and plans

The Pope was discharged on Saturday, October 17; the Vatican had earlier canceled his engagements until October 20. Test results that should show whether the cancer has spread are not yet ready. Doubts had arisen about the planned November 6–17 visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, where Leo spent two decades as a missionary, but Margaritora said he sees no clinical reasons to cancel the trip. The Pope has already partially returned to work: on Friday he called Russian President Vladimir Putin with an appeal for a ceasefire in Oleshky, a Ukrainian city occupied by Russia.

Reaction of the faithful and the homily

The faithful in the square welcomed the pontiff's quick return. Christopher Butler, a 68-year-old parish priest from Leeds, called Leo 'a great shepherd of the Catholic Church,' noting that the Pope needs time for a full recovery. Soledad Espinosa, 59, from Ecuador, and Norma Grasso, 76, from Argentina, expressed joy at his recovery and the expected visit to Latin America. Before the Angelus, the Pope reflected on Jesus' words 'render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's,' saying that this passage calls for 'being truthful, free from servile fear and hypocrisy, free to do good.'