Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to be released from Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Saturday afternoon, the Vatican announced, following an operation to treat lung cancer. The Holy See Press Office said in a statement that the 71-year-old pontiff's clinical condition now permits him to leave hospital.
According to KBC Digital, the Pope's physicians, Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora, reported that blood tests and a chest X-ray carried out Saturday morning supported the decision. The pontiff will return to the Vatican, where he is expected to lead prayers from his apartment on Sunday for pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square.
That appearance would mark his first public engagement since he was admitted to the hospital. The Vatican press office released photographs on Friday showing the Pope celebrating a private Mass on the tenth floor of the Gemelli facility, joined by members of the hospital's medical and nursing staff as well as officers of the Vatican City State Gendarmerie Corps.
Why it matters
The discharge closes a significant chapter in a health episode that has drawn global attention to the leadership of the Catholic Church. News that the Pope had been found to have lung cancer during surgery, first reported by The New York Times, raised questions about his recovery and his capacity to carry out his duties. His return to the Vatican, and his planned appearance before pilgrims on Sunday, offer the clearest signal yet that he is resuming his public role.
The episode also placed the Gemelli Hospital, long the medical institution of choice for recent popes, back in the international spotlight. The images of Leo celebrating Mass with the staff who treated him, released by the Vatican, served as the first visual confirmation of his condition since the operation.
Surgery and diagnosis
Pope Leo was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer. Doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung during an operation at the Gemelli on Tuesday. His medical team has said the surgery was completed successfully and without complications.
The Vatican's disclosures have come in stages. The diagnosis was made public after the procedure, and the photographs followed on Friday, ahead of Saturday's announcement that he would be discharged. A top Vatican diplomat, quoted by the BBC, cautioned that the Pope's health should not be taken for granted, a remark that underscored the seriousness of the underlying condition even as the immediate news improved.
Vatican News reported that the Pope has continued to show steady improvement and that he celebrated Mass for Gemelli staff during his stay. The press office statement did not provide further detail on any follow-up treatment or on the length of his expected convalescence.
What to watch
The Pope's Sunday prayers from his apartment will be the first test of how quickly he resumes his schedule. Whether the Vatican offers further medical updates, and how his public calendar is adjusted in the weeks ahead, will indicate the pace of his recovery.
