Pope Leo XIV will be discharged from the hospital Saturday, four days after undergoing surgery for lung cancer, and is expected to deliver his traditional noon blessing Sunday from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican said.
The 71-year-old pope had the lower lobe of his right lung removed Tuesday after doctors identified a nodule suspected of being cancerous. The operation confirmed a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer.
His personal physician, Luigi Carbone, and surgeon, Stefano Margaritora, said in a statement released by the Vatican that blood tests, a chest X-ray performed Saturday morning and an assessment of his clinical condition showed he was fit to leave the hospital.
Leo is expected to return to the Vatican in the early afternoon, according to the statement.
The discharge comes earlier than the Vatican’s initial estimate of a weeklong hospital stay and follows several indications that the pope has been recovering well. His audiences had been canceled through Tuesday, but Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the timing of his release would depend on his medical team.
Leo disclosed his condition last Sunday during his traditional appearance before the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square, telling them that doctors had found a nodule in his lung that would need to be removed.
Since undergoing surgery, he has continued several official and religious activities from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, including a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, meetings with senior aides and the celebration of Mass in the hospital chapel.
Medical updates from his physician and surgeon have described a positive postoperative recovery, saying Leo has been able to carry out his normal daily activities independently.
The Vatican released the first images of the pope since his surgery Friday, showing him standing at an altar in a hospital chapel wearing green liturgical vestments. Doctors said the latest tests confirmed his continued improvement.
Leo presided over the liturgy himself and distributed Communion to medical personnel and Vatican gendarmes attending the service, Bruni said.
During his homily, the pope thanked hospital staff for their daily work caring for sick people and for the attention they had given him during his treatment, Bruni said.
His recovery will be closely watched ahead of a planned trip to Latin America from Nov. 6-17. The journey, scheduled to begin about three weeks after his discharge, includes 12 flights and two helicopter trips.
The Vatican has signaled that preparations for the visit are continuing. On Friday, it published the names of journalists accredited to travel aboard the papal plane.
Oncology surgeons say patients can generally be cleared to fly about three weeks after surgery, provided their recovery allows it. Whether Leo will be fit for the demanding trip will depend on his continued progress and his doctors’ assessment.
Medical teams are still awaiting test results that will establish the cancer’s precise molecular and genetic characteristics, determine whether it has spread beyond the removed lung lobe and clarify whether further treatment will be necessary.
