Top photo caption: Pope Leo XIV leaves Gemelli Hospital following his lung surgery and cancer diagnosis, in Rome, Oct. 17, 2026. OSV News photo/Stoyan Nenov, Reuters
By Courtney Mares, OSV News
ROME OSV News – Pope Leo XIV’s doctors deemed him fit to be discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital Oct. 17, four days after his lung cancer surgery.
“Based on the blood tests and chest X-ray performed this morning, and after evaluating his clinical condition, the Holy Father has been deemed fit for discharge,” Dr. Luigi Carbone, the Pope’s personal doctor, and Dr. Stefano Margaritora, the chief surgeon for his operation, wrote in a joint statement that morning.
The Vatican announced that the Pope would be discharged from the hospital in the early afternoon and plans to lead the Sunday noon Angelus prayer on Oct. 18 from the window of the Apostolic Palace.
Before being discharged, Pope Leo planned to offer another noon Mass at the hospital as he did the previous day, the Vatican spokesman noted.
The announcement of the Pope’s imminent discharge from the hospital comes earlier than previously expected, as the Holy See Press Office has originally indicated that the Pope would remain in the hospital for about a week following his Oct. 13 admission to Gemelli on the day of his surgery.
During the 90-minute video-assisted technique operation, doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung. Following the surgery, the Vatican revealed that the Pope had been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma.
The Pope’s discharge from the hospital comes less than one week since he announced to the world that he would be undergoing lung surgery during his Sunday Angelus address on Oct. 11, in which he disclosed that recent medical examinations had revealed a “well-contained” lung nodule that had been “detected at a very early stage.”
According to Vatican News, further post-operation tests on the tissue removed were planned in the days following the surgery. It would typically take at least a week to get all of the biopsy results back, doctors not involved in the Pope’s care told OSV News.
Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney.
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