Pope Leo XIV recovering after lung cancer surgery in Rome

Pope Leo XIV, 71, was recovering at Rome’s Gemelli hospital on October 14 after surgery for lung cancer, with the Vatican reporting a peaceful night following the operation, according to the Associated Press. A Holy See statement issued on October 13 said surgeons had removed the lower lobe of his right lung.¹²³⁵

Surgery and recovery

The Holy See Press Office said the scheduled operation used a video-assisted technique. Examination of tissue during surgery confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, a diagnosis that tests before the procedure had already suggested, according to the statement.⁵

According to the statement, Professor Stefano Margaritora headed the team of surgeons. Leo was in the operating theatre for roughly three hours, while the procedure itself took about 90 minutes. The Holy See reported no complications and said he regained consciousness normally before returning, after a short observation period, to his room on the tenth floor.⁵

The Guardian also reported the Vatican’s assessment that the operation had proceeded according to plan. AP said the Vatican described the resection as “radical”, wording the agency said could mean that all tissue suspected of containing cancer had been removed. That interpretation was not a confirmation of the extent of the disease: AP reported that the cancer’s stage remained unknown.²³

Appointments and travel

All papal appointments have been cancelled until October 20, according to the Guardian. AP reported that the diagnosis had also raised questions about Leo’s forthcoming travel schedule, while the BBC identified a planned November visit to South America as a possible concern.¹²³

The BBC said that trip, which includes Peru, could be affected by the risks of flying after lung surgery and by the altitude of some destinations. The broadcaster reported that Leo had regarded Peru as home for more than two decades. Its account raised doubts about the journey rather than reporting a cancellation.¹

Questions for the papacy

The New York Times framed the diagnosis as a development that had prompted questions about the duration of Leo’s papacy and added urgency to his plans for the Church. Those are assessments of its possible institutional significance, rather than medical conclusions about his prognosis.⁴

The BBC’s account described a papacy focused on stability and reported that Leo had begun narrowing differences between Church factions. It said both progressive and traditionalist followers often recognised their own positions in his message, and highlighted his opposition to war, support for migrants’ dignity and attention to the risks of artificial intelligence.¹

Among the responses to the diagnosis, Marco Rubio said he and his wife were “united in prayers” for the pope, the Guardian reported. The newspaper described Rubio as a practising Catholic who had met Leo, whom it identified as the first US-born pope.²