Vatican confirms Pope Leo XIV has lung cancer after successful surgery

Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma after surgeons successfully removed the lower lobe of his right lung, a procedure the Vatican says went without complications as prayers poured in worldwide.

The Vatican confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma after doctors completed a radical resection on the pontiff at Rome’s Gemelli hospital. Pre-operative tests had already pointed to cancer, and an intraoperative histological exam locked it in during the operation itself.

Breitbart News reported that surgeons used a video-assisted technique to remove the lower lobe of the right lung and ensure a complete resection. The Vatican’s medical bulletin stated the surgery succeeded and produced no complications.

Pope Leo spent roughly three hours in the operating room. The procedure itself lasted about 90 minutes before he was cleared. Dr. Stefano Margaritora, Gemelli’s chief thoracic surgeon, led the team.

Doctors call the surgery clean and early-stage

Just the News reported that tests during surgery confirmed lung adenocarcinoma after removal of a nodule, with no complications at Gemelli. The Vatican bulletin put the outcome in plain terms.

"The surgery was successful, and there were no complications."

A second passage from the Vatican statement laid out the medical steps.

"To ensure a radical resection, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique. Intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, as suspected from pre-operative tests."

Adenocarcinoma is the most common form of non-small cell lung cancer. The Washington Examiner reported that Pope Leo XIV, 71, had a small, well-localized nodule found at a very early stage. Doctors expected about a week in the hospital, and a major South America trip remained tentatively on the calendar.

The pontiff himself described the find in straightforward language. “During some recent medical examinations, the doctors found a small, localized nodule in my lung. It was detected at a very early stage and is well-localized,” he said.

Recovery moves forward on schedule

Post-surgery updates have been steady and concrete. Doctors said Leo has resumed walking in his room, started respiratory physiotherapy, returned to a regular diet, and eaten breakfast and lunch. Recovery, they said, is proceeding as planned.

Fox News reported that follow-up blood tests and a chest X-ray fell in the expected range for this kind of operation. Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora said the values confirmed a normal postoperative course.

"The results confirm that his postoperative recovery is progressing normally: the values are within the expected range for the type of operation performed."

The Vatican has not disclosed the cancer’s stage beyond the early, localized description, or whether it had spread. That silence is familiar to Vatican watchers. Candida Moss, Edward Cadbury professor of theology at the University of Birmingham in England, told CBS News the Holy See often keeps health details tight.

"The Vatican tends to keep these things under wraps, so there’ll be a lot of reading between the lines to try and detect what is the state of the pope’s health."

Moss also expected Leo to keep working as much as he can. She pointed to a long pattern of popes remaining active in liturgy and duty when illness struck, including Pope John Paul II, who lived with Parkinson’s for a decade, and Pope Francis in his final years.

"We should also expect that, inasmuch as is possible, Pope Leo is going to continue to work."

Prayers rise as the Church holds steady

Medical staff prayed the rosary as the operation began. Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the vicar of Rome, spoke at the start of prayer and asked the faithful to stand with their bishop.

"Let us join together in prayer, asking the Lord to sustain our bishop, Pope Leo, and to comfort all those who are hospitalized here."

Well-wishes and prayers came in from around the world after the bulletin landed. The picture so far is limited but clear: an early-stage diagnosis, a clean resection, normal recovery markers, and a pope expected to keep serving while doctors watch the next steps. The Church has seen frail pontiffs before. It has also seen them finish the work set before them.

Faithful Catholics will keep praying, and expect their shepherd to keep showing up for as long as strength allows.