Pope Leo XIV has been discharged from hospital four days after surgery to remove a cancerous mass from his lung, returning to the Vatican after smiling and waving to well-wishers.
The 71-year-old pontiff underwent a 90-minute operation on Tuesday after doctors found a lesion on his chest. Part of his right lung was removed, and tests confirmed he has adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer.
His personal physician and surgeon said blood tests, a chest X-ray and an assessment of his clinical condition showed that he was “deemed fit for discharge from the hospital”.
The American Pope left the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome on Saturday afternoon, flanked by members of his entourage, and returned to the Vatican.
The Vatican said he is expected to deliver the traditional noon blessing from a window overlooking St Peter’s Square on Sunday.
Pope Leo disclosed the discovery of the lung nodule to the faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square last Sunday, revealing the diagnosis at the end of his blessing.
Since the operation, he has held a telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, met senior aides and celebrated Mass in the hospital chapel. His personal doctor said his recovery had allowed him to carry out “normal daily activities completely on his own”.
Images released on Friday showed the Pope standing at an altar in green vestments. He presided over the liturgy alone, distributed Communion to medical staff and Vatican gendarmes, and thanked hospital workers for caring for sick people “in their fragility” and for what they had done for him.
The Vatican had initially expected him to remain in hospital for a week and cancelled his audiences until Tuesday. Doctors are still awaiting test results to establish whether he will need further treatment.
His next major engagement is a planned trip to Latin America next month. The itinerary is expected to involve a dozen flights and two helicopter journeys, with oncology surgeons saying patients are generally cleared to fly after three weeks if recovery permits.
The Vatican has indicated that the trip is expected to go ahead by publishing the names of journalists accredited to travel on the Pope’s plane.
