What changed
Pope Leo XIV is recovering as expected after doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung in a roughly 90-minute operation at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday afternoon.
The Vatican confirmed that the removed nodule was lung adenocarcinoma. Leo, 71, is walking, eating normally and receiving respiratory physiotherapy. Blood tests and an X-ray showed normal early recovery, and doctors reported no surgical complications.
Why it matters
The immediate picture is encouraging, but the operation is only the first clear milestone. The cancer was described before surgery as well-contained and at an early stage, yet further tests are still checking whether it has spread. That result will matter more for the Pope’s longer recovery than the smooth first night in hospital.
Leo is expected to remain at Gemelli for about a week. His return to public duties remains uncertain, and the Vatican’s next updates will likely show whether recovery is measured in days or requires a longer pause. For now, the concrete change is simple: the cancerous lung tissue has been removed, and the Pope has begun the ordinary but significant work of recovering from major surgery.
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