What happened
Pope Leo XIV is returning to the Vatican following surgery for lung cancer at Rome's Gemelli hospital, according to Dawn. Doctors cleared the 71-year-old pontiff for discharge after reviewing his blood work, a recent morning chest X-ray, and overall recovery progress. The Vatican stated that he would leave the medical facility on Saturday afternoon and plans to deliver the Sunday Angelus prayer from the window of the papal apartment.
Key facts
- Pope Leo XIV was admitted on Tuesday to Gemelli hospital, where medical staff removed part of his right lung to extract a cancerous nodule.
- His release was formally approved in a note written by doctors Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora.
- While recovering in his tenth-floor hospital room, the Pope held daily Mass and engaged in official work, including a phone call on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin to urge a ceasefire in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky.
- All public audiences have been cancelled until October 20.
- A scheduled papal tour to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from November 6 to 17 remains uncertain as medical evaluations continue.
Why it matters
According to Dawn, news of the surgery has had a major impact on the Vatican and the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. Pope Leo XIV had disclosed the upcoming procedure himself to the public the previous Sunday after a routine checkup revealed the nodule. Although he previously spent two decades working as a missionary in Peru and wishes to make his planned South American journey, his doctors are awaiting additional test results to decide future medical steps. Exact details regarding his full ongoing care plan are Not specified in the source; please check the official notice.
Source: Dawn - Home · Published October 17, 2026 · Photo by Tomasz Kluz on Unsplash