Pope Leo XIV Diagnosed With Lung Cancer After Surgery

The Vatican announced on Tuesday that Pope Leo XIV, 71, has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung at Rome’s Gemelli hospital in a 90-minute operation that the Vatican called successful with no complications. The pontiff is resting, with all audiences cancelled through October 20.
Key takeaways

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What happened in the operating room

The pope was admitted to Rome’s Agostino Gemelli University Hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove a growth doctors had found during a recent routine health check. The operation was led by Professor Stefano Margaritora, Gemelli’s chief thoracic surgeon, and the medical statement was co-signed by Dr. Luigi Carbone, the pope’s personal physician.

According to the bulletin, surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung through video-assisted surgery, with the stated aim of eliminating every trace of the tumor. The surgery itself lasted about 90 minutes, while the pope spent roughly three hours in the operating room in total.

“The surgery was successful, and there were no complications,” the statement said. The pope woke up normally afterward and returned to his hospital room, where he was resting.

The pope told the faithful himself

In a remarkable break with the secrecy that has historically surrounded papal health, Leo XIV disclosed the lung nodule himself during his Sunday noon prayer in St. Peter’s Square. He told the crowd the growth had been detected at a very early stage and was well contained.

“The doctors believe that it is best to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it,” he said at the time, thanking people for their support and prayers.

On Tuesday, the pope traveled from the Vatican to the hospital shortly before 1 p.m. local time. He walked through Gemelli’s main entrance and waved to dozens of well-wishers who had gathered to greet him.

The candor is striking. Vatican watchers noted that the level of detail — including the release of the surgical team’s names and the medical findings — is rare for the Holy See, which has often disclosed papal health problems only after the fact. A day earlier, the Vatican had already cancelled all of the pope’s audiences through October 20.

What lung adenocarcinoma means

Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer, and it can develop in people who have never smoked. The Vatican did not provide details on the size of the tumor or whether the cancer had spread to the pope’s lymph nodes — the two factors doctors say matter most for prognosis.

“While we have the diagnosis, we do not yet have the stage. This is critical to prognosis and treatment,” Dr. Stephen Liu, a lung cancer expert at Georgetown University in Washington, told Reuters. “If this is a small lung cancer with no lymph nodes involved, surgery itself is likely to be curative.”

The bulletin said further postoperative tests, including a full histological examination of the removed tissue, are expected in the coming days. Doctors have not discussed chemotherapy or any similar treatment at this stage.

Why it matters

The news sent a shock through the world’s roughly 1.4 billion Catholics. Leo XIV, elected in May 2025 as the first American-born pope, has spent his short pontificate pressing a message of openness — and his decision to announce the diagnosis himself was of a piece with that approach.

Gemelli hospital has long been associated with papal health: Pope John Paul II spent long stretches there, and Pope Francis was treated at the same hospital early last year. Notably, the Vatican said the papal apartment on the hospital’s 10th floor is currently undergoing renovations, so Leo is convalescing in a nearby room instead.

Messages of support poured in from religious leaders and heads of state around the world. The story led news bulletins across Pakistan as well, where Geo TV and other outlets carried the Vatican’s announcement prominently.

What’s next

The pope is expected to spend about a week in hospital recovering. The Vatican said further updates on his condition could come as early as Wednesday, once doctors have had more time to observe his recovery.

The critical question will be what the final pathology tests show. If the cancer was caught at an early stage and confined to the removed lobe, the operation alone may prove curative. If the tests reveal a wider spread, the medical team will face harder decisions about further treatment.

For now, the papal calendar is on hold. With audiences suspended through October 20, the coming weeks will test not just the pope’s recovery, but the machinery of the Vatican around him.

A bigger question mark hangs over the pope’s planned 11-day trip to Latin America from November 6 to 17, covering Uruguay, Argentina and Peru — his first visit to the Americas since his election in May 2025. He told the faithful on Sunday that he still intended to go, but the Vatican has said the final call will depend on how his recovery progresses.

Frequently asked questions

What type of cancer does Pope Leo XIV have?

The Vatican says the pope has lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer. The diagnosis was suspected from preoperative tests and confirmed by tissue examination during Tuesday’s surgery, when surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung at Rome’s Gemelli hospital.

How long will the pope stay in hospital?

Doctors expect him to remain in hospital for about a week. All of his public audiences and events through October 20 have been cancelled, and the Vatican said further updates could be released as his recovery progresses. The next medical bulletin could come as early as Wednesday.

What did the pope say before the operation?

He revealed the lung nodule himself during his Sunday noon prayer in St. Peter’s Square, saying it had been found at a very early stage. He told the faithful that on his doctors’ advice, he had decided to have it removed.

Who performed the surgery?

The operation was led by Professor Stefano Margaritora, chief thoracic surgeon at Gemelli hospital, and the official medical statement was co-signed by Dr. Luigi Carbone, the pope’s personal physician. The wider team included thoracic surgeons and anaesthesiologists from Gemelli, all named in the Vatican bulletin.