Pope out of bed, progress 'normal' after cancer operation
Pope Leo XIV is recovering well after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his lung. Medical staff report that his post-operative progress is normal and he has begun light activity.
Why it matters
The health of the leader of the Catholic Church is a matter of global significance, particularly given the current uncertainty within the institution.
Layer 1 Pope Leo XIV waves to the crowd after leading a mass to celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Basilica of Our Lady of Good Counsel, in Genazzano, near Rome, on September 7, 2026. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP)
Pope Leo XIV is out of bed, walking and eating after doctors removed a cancerous tumour from his lung, while post-surgery tests show his progress is “normal”, his doctors said Wednesday.
Part of the pope’s right lung was removed in Tuesday’s operation at Rome’s Gemelli hospital and the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics is now awaiting the results of a biopsy to determine if the cancer has spread.
Blood tests and a chest X-ray meanwhile “confirm a normal post-operative course”, doctors Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora said in a statement released by the Vatican.
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22 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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