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Pope Leo’s recovery from surgery is progressing as expected and he has begun walking and eating normally in his hospital room, the Vatican said Wednesday, after doctors announced the 71-year-old pontiff was being treated for lung cancer.
World leaders, Catholics worldwide and senior cardinals at the Vatican offered prayers for Leo after he had part of his right lung removed in an operation on Tuesday.
Blood tests and a chest X-ray taken on Wednesday showed normal postoperative results, the Vatican said, adding that the pope had undergone respiratory physiotherapy.
The cancer diagnosis, for a pope known to be relatively young and energetic and who was only elected in May 2025, caused shock and raised questions about the future shape of his papacy.
Leo usually follows a very busy schedule. He should make a tour through Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17; The Vatican press office said on Wednesday that “nothing has changed” about the planned trip.
However, Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori said on Wednesday that the dates may change due to the time his recovery will take.
The Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV’s successful surgery to remove a lung nodule confirmed a cancer diagnosis. Leo waved the wish as he walked into the Rome Gemelli Hospital in Rome, where he is now recovering.
Canadian Prayers for the Pope
The Pope is the ultimate earthly authority for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics and has no deputy who steps in when he is sick. When a pope is incapacitated, the business of the Vatican’s vast bureaucracy continues as usual, withholding any decisions that require the pope’s approval.
A prayer was called for Leo for a good recovery and full recovery during an open air Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday after the operation.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a statement that it “joins the faithful across Canada and around the world for the speedy and complete recovery of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.” It continued to express affection for Leo and gratitude to the medical team caring for him.
A woman holds a rosary and a card portraying Pope Leo outside Gemelli Hospital, where the pontiff continues to recover from surgery on Wednesday.(Yara Nardi/AFP)
The pope was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer, and doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung during Tuesday’s surgery in an effort to eliminate any cancerous tissue.
Human lungs have five lobes – three in the right lung and two in the left.
The operation lasted about 90 minutes and was completed without complications, said the Pope’s lead surgeon, Professor Stefano Margaritora, and his personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, late on Tuesday.
The Vatican did not disclose the size of the tumor or whether the disease has spread to nearby lymph nodes, key factors in determining prognosis.
Dr. Serena Ricciardi, a lung cancer specialist at Rome’s San Camillo Forlanini Hospital, said that if the cancer had not spread to Leo’s lymph nodes, surgery might have been enough for treatment.
“If there are no further issues or lymph node involvement, we can consider surgery curative,” she told Reuters. “The disease is completely removed.”
Leo is relatively young for a church leader. He enjoys sports, including tennis, and is not known to smoke or have any recent health problems.
Engagements canceled until October 20th
The Vatican said this week that the pope was expected to remain in hospital for about a week and that all his public engagements until October 20 had been cancelled.
Wednesday’s Mass was the closing act of a meeting of bishops called by Leo to discuss the church’s teaching on family life, the largest gathering of church leaders so far during this papacy.
Filipino Cardinal Luis Tagle led the service in Leo’s place. The pope last week approved Tagle as dean of the Church’s College of Cardinals, in the first selection of an Asian cleric for the elite role.
Political leaders offered messages of support.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he and his wife Jeanette are praying for the pope, an American who was born in Chicago.
“May the Lord give him strength and the Holy Spirit guide the medical professionals who care for the Holy Father,” he said on X. Rubio met Leo at the Vatican in May.
There was no immediate response on social media from US President Donald Trump, who has criticized the Pope, or US Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic.
