Pope Leo leaves Rome hospital four days after lung cancer surgery

Pope Leo XIV left Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic on Saturday, 17 October 2026, returning to Vatican City just four days after undergoing major surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung. The early departure is a notable recovery milestone for the pontiff, who was initially projected by the Holy See Press Office to remain hospitalized for about a week. The rapid discharge and his scheduled return to public duties provide reassurance to the global Catholic community following a diagnosis that sent shockwaves through the Vatican.

The 71-year-old pope walked unaided out of the hospital's main entrance on Saturday afternoon, stopping briefly to greet a crowd of well-wishers and a young former cancer patient before entering a waiting vehicle. His motorcade arrived back at Vatican City later that afternoon, according to reporting compiled via CBS News and 2news. The medical procedure, performed on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, involved the excision of the lower lobe of the pope's right lung. Subsequent pathological examination confirmed the growth to be adenocarcinoma, the most common subtype of non-small cell lung cancer.

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Pope leaves hospital in Rome four days after lung cancer surgery

According to a joint medical bulletin signed by the pope's personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and the chief surgeon, Prof. Stefano Margaritora, the decision to release the pontiff was reached following Saturday morning's clinical evaluations. OSV News noted that the medical team confirmed the Holy Father was deemed fit for discharge based on blood tests and a chest X-ray. This followed days of steady clinical improvement during which the pope began walking, eating normally, and undergoing respiratory physiotherapy, as detailed by infovaticana.

Throughout his brief stay, the pontiff maintained an active schedule. News.webindia123 reported that Leo celebrated Mass inside a makeshift hospital chapel on the tenth floor, wore green vestments, and distributed Communion to medical personnel and Vatican gendarmes. Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni highlighted that the pope expressed gratitude to the hospital staff for their daily care of the sick. In addition to liturgical duties, the pope resumed work activities, holding meetings with senior aides and conducting a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin to urge a humanitarian ceasefire in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky, as reported by BBC.

Medical specialists cited by ABC7 Chicago and Yahoo News Singapore noted that doctors are still awaiting final laboratory findings regarding the precise molecular and genetic profile of the tissue, whether metastasis occurred beyond the excised lobe, and whether adjunctive therapy will be required. While oncology surgeons observe that standard recovery protocols typically clear patients for air travel after a three-week window, the broader prognosis remains tied to these pending pathology results.

Attention now turns to the pontiff's upcoming itinerary. The Vatican has published an accredited journalist list for an ambitious apostolic journey to Latin America covering Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from 6 November to 17 November 2026. This schedule leaves approximately three weeks of convalescence following his discharge. Whether the rigorous itinerary involving numerous flights and helicopter transits proceeds as planned will depend on his ongoing recuperation and the final oncological evaluations.