Pope Leo XIV's operated lung recovers well, Vatican says as he resumes work

Surgery and diagnosis

Pope Leo XIV, 71, had the lower right lobe of his right lung removed on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, after doctors identified a suspected cancerous nodule. The Vatican said the operation was carried out with a video-assisted technique and concluded successfully. The surgery confirmed adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer. Doctors are still waiting for test results that will show the precise molecular makeup of the tumour, whether it has spread beyond the removed lobe, and whether any further treatment is needed. The pope has remained in the Gemelli hospital in Rome since the operation, and the Vatican expects a stay of about one week.

Recovery reported by doctors

A medical bulletin issued on Thursday, 15 October, said the routine check-ups that morning had normal results. A chest X-ray showed good recovery of the operated lung, and the pope was going about his daily activities independently. His physiotherapy session included full mobility exercises. The bulletin was issued by his personal doctor, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and by Dr. Stefano Margaritora, head of thoracic surgery at Gemelli. Overall, the doctors described the post-operative course as proceeding as expected, while the molecular and spread tests remain pending.

Work from the hospital bed

The Vatican press office said the pope had resumed working from the hospital, looking at documents. For a second day he co-celebrated Mass with other priests in a chapel set up near his room on the 10th floor. Press office director Matteo Bruni described the change:

The Pope has resumed his work activities.

The Vatican said audiences were cancelled until 20 October. AP reported the pope was expected to stay in hospital until at least 20 October. Donald Trump is among the leaders who have wished Leo a speedy recovery. At the Gemelli, Father Nunzio Currao, one of the hospital chaplains, celebrated the midday Mass in the Saint John Paul II Chapel, and a security detail of gendarmes and police guarded access to the restricted tenth floor where the pope is staying.

Vatican reaction and possible changes

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin visited the pope at Gemelli on Thursday and said he had found him well. Speaking to reporters at an event at the Iraqi Embassy to the Holy See, Parolin said he remained concerned but trusted the medical bulletins.

I remain concerned, because I am truly, enormously sorry for what has happened.

Parolin said the pope might reshape his pontificate if necessary, depending on when he returns, his condition and what the doctors say. He said the pope might lead the Angelus from the Gemelli on Sunday, 18 October, depending on how his convalescence goes, while calling such scenarios speculation. Regarding the trip, AP reported that the planned South America journey runs from 6 to 17 November and includes Peru, Uruguay and Argentina. Parolin said it was a long and demanding trip that depends on the doctors, and that the pope had not yet pronounced on it.