File- Pope Leo waves to the crowd as he leaves at the end of a Mass at the Saint-Etienne Cathedral in Metz, as part of his four-day apostolic journey to France, September 28, 2026. © Handout photo, AFP
Pope Leo had a lower lobe of his right lung removed during surgery on Tuesday and was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin. The surgery was successful and the pope is expected to spend a week in hospital recovering. The 71-year-old pontiff is due to travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru on November 6, though the Vatican has not confirmed the departure date
“The procedure was successfully completed, within the expected time and in the planned manner, and the Holy Father has returned to his room,” the Vatican press office said on Telegram.
The 71-year-old pontiff has lung adenocarcinoma, with tissue tests conducted during the operation confirming what doctors had suspected from preparatory examinations, the bulletin said.
Pope Leo arrived at hospital in Rome on Tuesday ahead of surgery to remove a small cancerous growth on one of his lungs, in the first major health issue of his 17-month tenure.
Leo, 71, said on Sunday that a small nodule had been found on a check-up, was “well-contained” and had been spotted early.
FRANCE24/ AFP
