Pope Leo XIV was discharged from hospital on Saturday, four days after undergoing surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung following a lung cancer diagnosis.
The 71-year-old pontiff left Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Saturday afternoon and returned to the Vatican after doctors determined that he was well enough to leave.
He walked unaided to his waiting car and briefly greeted well-wishers outside the hospital. Earlier that day, doctors had carried out blood tests and chest imaging. They said the surgery was successful and had been completed without complications.
The Vatican announced that the Pope would lead the traditional Angelus prayer on Sunday from a window of the papal apartment overlooking St Peter’s Square. It will be his first public engagement since the operation.
Doctors have not disclosed the tumour’s size or whether the cancer had spread to nearby lymph nodes—details that can help determine the prognosis, Reuters reported.
Elected in May 2025, Leo is the first American to lead the Roman Catholic Church.
We are glad that Pope Leo XIV has been discharged from hospital and is back at the Vatican. May his recovery continue smoothly, and may his healing be lasting and complete.
