Pope Leo XIV’s recovery was progressing normally Wednesday after surgery to remove a small nodule from his lung, the Vatican said. Doctors performed scheduled blood tests and a chest X-ray, with results falling within the expected range for the procedure.
The update followed an earlier announcement from the Holy See Press Office that the pope had spent a quiet night at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.
The 71-year-old pontiff underwent thoracic surgery Tuesday to remove the lower lobe of his right lung. The Holy See Press Office said testing confirmed that the nodule was lung adenocarcinoma, a type of lung cancer.
“This morning, the Holy Father underwent the blood tests and chest X-ray scheduled after surgery,” Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora said in a statement. “The results confirm that his postoperative recovery is progressing normally: the values are within the expected range for the type of operation performed.”
Pope Leo XIV arrives at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, where he’s expected to be operated to remove a lung nodule. (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)
The medical team said Pope Leo had started respiratory therapy and was walking around his hospital room. He has also returned to a normal diet, eating both breakfast and lunch, according to the statement. “His recovery is proceeding as expected,” the doctors said.
The Vatican said the diagnosis was confirmed through an examination of tissue taken during the operation, matching the results of tests carried out before surgery.
An image of Pope Leo XIV rests at the base of a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, where Leo is hospitalized for surgery to remove a lung nodule, in Rome, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (Gregorio Borgia/AP)
Pope Leo spent about three hours in the operating theater, while the surgery itself took roughly 90 minutes.
Doctors reported that the operation was successful and proceeded without complications.
Speaking after Monday’s Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square, Leo said doctors had discovered a small mass in his lung. He described it as having been detected at a very early stage and positioned in a favorable location.
Pope Leo XIV is welcomed by Health Director Andrea Cambieri as he arrives at the Gemelli University Hospital for an operation to remove a lump from his lung, in Rome on October 13, 2026. (Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP via Getty Images)
“The doctors consider it appropriate to intervene and so, following their advice, I decided to have surgery to remove it,” the pope said. He added that the operation had been scheduled for the following days and thanked people for their spiritual support and prayers.
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