Pope Leo XIV diagnosed with lung cancer after surgery, Vatican says

Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer after undergoing successful surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, the Vatican said, raising concerns about the 71 year old pontiff’s health as he prepares for a planned trip to Latin America next month.

The Vatican said the 90-minute operation took place on Tuesday at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where the Pope is expected to remain for about a week to recover. The procedure followed the discovery of a lung nodule during routine medical checks.

“The operation was successful, and there were no complications,” the Vatican said in a medical bulletin, adding that the Pope awoke normally after surgery and returned to his room following a brief period of observation.

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The medical team subsequently confirmed that the growth was pulmonary adenocarcinoma, a type of lung cancer. The Vatican said the entire lower lobe of his right lung was removed to ensure the procedure was comprehensive.

Further tests are being conducted to determine whether the cancer has spread, according to a Vatican source cited by AFP.
The diagnosis has prompted concern among Catholics and church officials, although the Vatican has said the pontiff had shown no symptoms of infection or illness before the operation.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, described the news as unexpected.

“Am I worried? Yes, because I certainly wasn’t expecting anything like this,” he told journalists on Tuesday.
He described the announcement as a “bolt from the blue” but said cardinals had been encouraged by the Pope’s calmness and remained hopeful about his recovery.
Pope Leo disclosed on Sunday that doctors had found a nodule on his lung and advised him to have it removed. He said the growth was “contained” and had been detected “at a very early stage”.
His schedule has been cleared until 20 October to allow him to recover.

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Despite the reassurances, uncertainty remains over the severity of the illness. Elise Ann Allen, the author of a biography of the Pope, cautioned against drawing conclusions before doctors provide further information.
“It would be premature to be alarmed, but it’s also premature to say everything’s fine,” Allen told the BBC, urging people to wait for updates from the medical team.
“We really have to wait and see what the doctors say in the coming days,” she said.

Catholics pray for Pope’s recovery

News of the diagnosis drew Catholics to Gemelli Hospital, which has treated several popes, including Pope John Paul II.
Some gathered outside the hospital to pray and offer messages of support as the pontiff arrived for treatment.
“He seems calm, so we are calm too, even though illness is always unpleasant,” Carla, a Catholic who visited the hospital, told the BBC.
Another woman, Elsa, said she had been taken aback by the announcement, having expected the Pope to be younger and healthier when he was elected.
“It turns out he’s vulnerable too,” she said.

The diagnosis has also raised questions about the Pope’s planned visit to Latin America in early November, particularly to Peru, where he spent years as a missionary and later served as a bishop.
The trip is expected to include Chiclayo, a northern Peruvian city where Robert Prevost served as bishop for eight years before becoming Pope Leo XIV. The pontiff holds Peruvian citizenship and has strong ties to the city.

Local officials had announced plans for an estimated 1.5 million people to travel to Chiclayo and surrounding areas for his expected return.
“God willing, we will have him here, because these preparations have been going on for several months, not just on a practical level, but also on a spiritual one,” a retired journalist in the city told AFP.

It remains unclear whether the Pope’s recovery will affect the planned trip.
The health concerns extend to his family. His brother, Louis Prevost, is also receiving treatment in the United States for multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, his wife told CBS News. She did not disclose the stage of his illness.

For now, the Vatican has offered assurances about the success of the operation, while further medical assessments are expected to provide a clearer picture of the Pope’s condition and prospects for recovery.