Pope Leo XIV Resumes Work from Hospital Post-Surgery for Lung Cancer

Vatican City has confirmed that Pope Leo XIV's surgery was successful. The leader of the Roman Catholic Church has begun working again from the hospital where he is recovering from the removal of a cancerous nodule. Pope Leo met with Vatican Chief of Staff Archbishop Paolo Rudelli at Gemelli hospital in Rome, where he is currently receiving treatment, the Vatican announced on Thursday. Archbishop Rudelli manages a significant portion of the Holy See's daily administrative tasks.

According to an update from Pope Leo's personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and Dr. Stefano Margaritora, the head of thoracic surgery at Gemelli hospital, the pontiff's post-operative tests are within normal limits. His physiotherapy session on Thursday included full mobility exercises, and doctors reported that Leo is independently managing his daily activities. "The chest X-ray revealed good recovery of the operated lung," the physicians stated. "Overall, his post-operative recovery is proceeding as expected."

For the second consecutive day, the Pope celebrated Mass with other priests in a dedicated chapel on the 10th floor of the hospital, as confirmed by spokesman Matteo Bruni. The 71-year-old pontiff underwent a lengthy operation on Tuesday to remove part of his right lung after doctors identified a suspected cancerous nodule. The surgery confirmed the presence of adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer. Further tests are underway to determine the cancer's precise molecular makeup, ascertain if it has spread beyond the lung lobe, and identify if additional treatment is required.

Pope Leo, who attracted a crowd of nearly one million people during a Mass in Paris last month as part of a four-day visit to France, had announced his upcoming surgery shortly after. It remains uncertain whether his planned trip to South American countries next month will proceed as scheduled. When questioned about potential changes to Leo's itinerary from November 6-17, spokesman Bruni referred to the Pope's own words from Sunday, when he disclosed the nodule discovery and impending surgery. "Thank you for your prayers for the pastoral visit I will make to Peru," Pope Leo said in Spanish during a greeting to a Peruvian group. The planned trip also includes visits to Uruguay and Argentina. Pope Leo is expected to remain hospitalized until at least next Tuesday.