Key Takeaways
- Pope Leo XIV will leave the Gemelli hospital after doctors deemed him fit for discharge.
- The surgery involved the removal of part of his right lung to extract a cancerous tumour.
- Leo is expected to recite the Angelus prayer from his papal apartment tomorrow.
Pope Leo XIV is set to leave the Gemelli hospital in Rome, where he has been recovering from lung cancer surgery, after doctors deemed him fit for discharge.
The Vatican confirmed that the 71-year-old pontiff will return to the Vatican in the early afternoon today, following a routine check-up that included blood tests and a chest X-ray.
Leo, who has been at the hospital since Tuesday, celebrated Mass on Saturday in a room on the 10th floor of the hospital, as he has in recent days.
Up in the air is a planned papal voyage to South America, scheduled for November 6-17 to visit Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, with the Vatican saying Leo is anxious to make the long journey but will likely follow his doctors' recommendations.
Flowers, candles, and a picture of Pope Leo XIV are laid at the statue of John Paul II outside the Gemelli University Hospital, where he is recovering, reflecting the public’s support and concern.
The Vatican’s press office stated that Leo resumed some work, making a call on Friday to Russian President Vladimir Putin to urge a ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky.
Leo cancelled all his audiences until October 20, following the announcement of his medical examination that revealed a nodule that doctors recommended should be removed.
Doctors Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora wrote in a note published by the Vatican, 'Considering the blood tests, the chest X-ray done this morning, and evaluating the clinical picture, the Holy Father has been deemed fit for discharge.'
