Pope Leo XIV is set to leave Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Saturday after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous lung node, the Holy See said.
“Following the doctors’ assessment this morning, Pope Leo XIV will be discharged today from Gemelli Hospital, where he was hospitalized for surgery on his right lung,” the Holy See said in a statement.
The pope is expected to depart in the early afternoon and return to the Vatican. On Sunday, he will lead the Angelus prayer from the window of the papal apartment, according to the statement.
Blood tests and a chest X-ray conducted Saturday indicated that Pope Leo was well enough to leave the hospital, Vatican News reported.
Pope Leo XIV leaves the Vatican before being admitted to Rome’s Gemelli University Hospital for an operation to remove a lump from his lung, in the Vatican on 13 October 2026. (Tiziana FABI / AFP via Getty Images)
Before his discharge, the pope will celebrate Mass in a room on the hospital’s 10th floor, the Holy See press office said.
Pope Leo underwent thoracic surgery Tuesday to remove the node. Doctors later diagnosed the growth as lung adenocarcinoma, a form of lung cancer.
“The Pope was in the operating room approximately three hours, while the operation itself lasted about 90 minutes. The doctors said it was successful and there were no complications,” the Holy See press office said.
Pope Leo XIV arrives at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, where he underwent surgery to remove a lung nodule. (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)
Vatican News said Pope Leo awoke normally after the procedure and, following a short period of observation, returned to his room on the hospital’s 10th floor.
During his recovery, the pope spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin and appealed for a ceasefire in Oleshky, a city in southern Ukraine.
“During the conversation, the Holy Father expressed his deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky, in the Kherson region, and called for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of food and medical assistance and the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population,” the Vatican said.
The statement added that the pope reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to advancing dialogue and peace.
Pope Leo called Russian President Vladimir Putin while recovering from lung surgery to discuss Ukraine. (Vatican Media via AP; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Russia has controlled Oleshky since May and has blocked humanitarian food deliveries to the city. The area also lacks electricity, gas and running water, while its hospital is barely functioning, according to previous News Outlet reporting.
News Outlet has contacted the Holy See for additional comment.
