Just days after being discharged from a Rome hospital following lung cancer surgery, Pope Leo XIV made his return to St Peter’s Square on Wednesday to resume his traditional weekly general audience, capping a remarkably swift recovery that has reassured followers around the globe.
According to an official statement released by the Vatican, the 71-year-old pontiff’s medical team has confirmed he will not require any additional cancer treatment after a successful procedure to remove a malignant growth from his right lung. Post-surgical pathology tests on the extracted tissue verified the initial diagnosis of localized lung adenocarcinoma, with no indication the cancer had spread beyond the affected area. The statement noted that a full oncological review after the surgery finalized the medical team’s conclusion that no further intervention is needed.
The 90-minute surgical procedure, which removed the lower lobe of Pope Leo’s right lung, took place on October 13. The pontiff had publicly announced the upcoming surgery himself during his weekly Sunday prayer service days earlier, telling the crowd gathered in St Peter’s Square that clinicians had detected a problematic nodule on his lung and that the growth had been caught at an early stage. He was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital over the weekend, just four days after the operation, and paused outside the facility to greet and thank well-wishers who had gathered to show their support.
Even while still recovering in the hospital, Pope Leo maintained his active spiritual and diplomatic agenda. Days after the surgery, photos released by the Vatican showed the pontiff leading Mass from his hospital room, standing at a makeshift altar and wearing his ceremonial green vestments. On that same day, he held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where he pushed for a temporary ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky. The Pope urged Putin to allow unimpeded access for humanitarian food aid to reach trapped civilians in the blockaded city, and reiterated his longstanding call for diplomatic dialogue to end the ongoing conflict. Two days later, on Monday, he held a similar call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss peace efforts and the humanitarian situation on the ground.
Close aides to the Pope have also confirmed that he remains committed to moving forward with his planned apostolic trip to Latin America, scheduled for early November, and has no intention of delaying the journey amid his recovery. Wednesday’s general audience marked his first return to a regular public schedule since his hospitalization, signaling to Catholic communities worldwide that he is back to leading the Church amid his recovery.