Leo XIV after lung cancer surgery: «He spent a good night»

Pope Leo XIV «spent a good night in hospital, got up and had breakfast», the Holy See Press Office said this morning, 15 October, two days after surgery at Rome's Gemelli Hospital to remove a lung adenocarcinoma.

Yesterday's bulletin. His post-operative course is proceeding «as expected», according to the medical bulletin released early yesterday afternoon, 14 October. «The Holy Father underwent the blood tests and chest X-ray scheduled after the operation. The results confirm a regular post-operative course: the values are normal for the type of surgery performed». The Pope «did respiratory physiotherapy and began walking in his room» and «resumed regular eating, having breakfast and lunch». His first night had been «peaceful».

The diagnosis. The hospital stay had been announced as planned, for the removal of a «circumscribed nodule» in the lung. That it was an adenocarcinoma had been «suspected from pre-operative tests», according to the bulletin issued at 21:53 on 13 October. The Vatican has not said which tests were carried out before admission.

The operation. On Tuesday afternoon Leo XIV spent about three hours in the operating theatre; the surgery itself lasted about 90 minutes. It was performed by the thoracic surgery team of Prof. Stefano Margaritora. «To make the operation radical, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique», wrote Margaritora and the Pope's physician, Luigi Carbone. The histological examination performed during surgery «confirmed the diagnosis of a lung adenocarcinoma». According to the bulletin, «the operation was successful and there were no complications».

Bruni's words. «The Pope is well, his mood is good», said Press Office director Matteo Bruni, confirming a stay of «about a week from admission». Bruni said the Pope wishes to make the apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru scheduled for 6 to 17 November; no official change has been announced.

The Mass for *Amoris laetitia*. Yesterday morning in St Peter's Square, the Mass marking ten years of the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris laetitia, which the Pope was due to preside over, was celebrated by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who read the homily prepared by Leo XIV: «I will now read the homily prepared by the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV». By special mandate of the Pope, the Cardinal publicly manifested the ecclesiastical communion granted by Leo XIV to the Chaldean Patriarch of Baghdad, Polis III Nona, who attended the celebration.

Press reports. According to La Repubblica, the Pope is already doing physiotherapy and the tumour was reportedly found by chance about twenty days ago during an MRI scan of his stomach, followed by the trip to France, further tests and a final bronchoscopy before the announcement at the Angelus. Vatican sources quoted by Corriere della Sera say the tumour tissue «was removed completely» and that doctors are not currently talking about chemotherapy. These accounts have not been confirmed by the Press Office.

What we still don't know. The stage of the disease and any further treatment depend on the final histological examination, which will show, among other things, whether the lymph nodes are clear. The results have not yet been released.