Pope Leo XIV’s lung nodule surgery at Rome’s Gemelli hospital succeeded after doctors found early-stage cancer, the Vatican said, and the 71-year-old pontiff is already back in his room.
The Holy See Press Office reported that the procedure finished on schedule Tuesday with no setbacks, and that the American pope returned to his hospital room afterward.
CBS News reported that surgeons removed the nodule under the care of a team led by Dr. Stefano Margaritora, Gemelli’s chief thoracic surgeon, after Leo revealed the finding during his Sunday noon prayer.
The Vatican also said Pope Leo was diagnosed with lung cancer during the operation, the first major health problem he has publicly disclosed in his 17-month papacy.
That diagnosis tracked with later detail from the Holy See: doctors identified lung adenocarcinoma and removed the lower lobe of his right lung in a radical procedure meant to clear all suspect tissue.
The New York Post reported the operation lasted roughly 90 minutes and produced no complications. Oncologists pointed to an excellent prognosis because the small, localized nodule was caught early and taken out.
The Holy See Press Office put the result in plain terms.
"The procedure was completed successfully, within the expected timeframe and as planned, and the Holy Father has returned to his room."
Leo had walked into Gemelli through the main entrance and waved to dozens of well-wishers before the operation got underway. Medical staff later recited the Rosary in the hospital chapel Tuesday evening.
Vicar of Rome Cardinal Baldassare Reina spoke at the start of that prayer.
"Let us join together in prayer, asking the Lord to sustain our bishop, Pope Leo, and to comfort all those who are hospitalized here."
The nodule measured less than 1.2 inches and was described as small and localized. The Vatican said it turned up during regular checks, not an emergency scramble.
Before the operation, Leo told the faithful he would not wait.
"Recently, during some medical tests, doctors discovered a localized nodule in my lung... It was detected at a very early stage and is well localized... I have decided to undergo surgery to have it removed."
He added a simple request: “I entrust myself to your prayers.” That language came through Breitbart’s account of the announcement.
Tokyo Cardinal Kikuchi Tsutomu, who saw Leo on Monday, framed the timing the same way.
"He has decided to undergo surgery soon in order to not change his plans for future overseas trips, so there is no need to worry, as it is not an emergency."
Those plans include a trip to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru at the beginning of November, a route spanning just over 19,000 miles on a dozen flights and two helicopter rides. Doctors typically advise about three weeks of recovery without flying, so the calendar is tight.
Earlier coverage had already flagged the same choice to move quickly after the early nodule discovery became public.
All of Leo’s audiences are canceled through Oct. 20 while he completes a weeklong hospital stay. The Vatican promised further medical updates later.
Dr. Lorenzo Spaggiari, director of thoracic surgery at Milan’s European Institute of Oncology, was not on the care team but knows the Gemelli surgeons. He said the outlook is strong when the clinical picture matches the words used so far.
"These are things that can be treated very well, if the words he used reflect the clinical situation."
No chemotherapy has been mentioned. The Holy See’s emphasis remains on the radical removal of suspect tissue and the early-stage catch.
Readers following the story from the first alert already saw the same arc in reports that the American pope was set for early-stage surgery this week.
Leo has stayed physically active, tennis and swimming, and had no previously known health problems of this scale. A 1985 hospitalization for typhoid fever is the main earlier medical note on the record.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella were among the world leaders who publicly wished him a speedy recovery.
Leo offered the public a clear account of the nodule at Sunday’s noon prayer rather than letting rumor fill the gap. That approach fits a leader who has also made pointed personnel moves, including when he elevated an archbishop who denied Pelosi communion to the Vatican’s highest court.
Faithful Catholics watching from the pews know medical crises test institutions as much as individuals. Parallel debates over life and care continue in other capitals, from fights over religious liberty appointments to votes such as when British lawmakers rejected an assisted suicide bill.
For now the facts on the ground in Rome are straightforward: a small nodule found early, a completed operation, a pope back in his room, and a Church that still gathers to pray while the doctors do their work.
Successful surgery and plain talk from the Vatican beat secrecy every time, and a Church that tells the truth about hard news keeps the trust it asks the faithful to give.
