Pope Leo XIV discharged from hospital early following lung cancer surgery

Pope Leo XIV was discharged from the hospital Oct. 17 after doctors deemed him fit to return to the Vatican four days after lung cancer surgery.

The pope walked out of Rome's Gemelli Hospital at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon waving to dozens of well-wishes and journalists waiting outside of the hospital.

In a joint statement released by the Vatican that morning, the pope's personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and chief surgeon Dr. Stefano Margaritora said, "Based on the blood tests and chest X-ray performed this morning, and after evaluating his clinical condition, the Holy Father has been deemed fit for discharge."

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As he left the hospital, Pope Leo stopped to speak with a 13-year-old Ukrainian girl named Varvara who had previously greeted him while being treated for cancer in Rome earlier this year, according to Vatican News.

With the help of a Ukrainian priest as translator, Varvara explained to the pope that his embrace of her before her own cancer surgery in December had given her "the strength to overcome the illness."

The girl handed Pope Leo a large printed photo of their hug in St. Peter's Square and a handmade felt toy she had made in his likeness.

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Before being discharged from the hospital, Pope Leo celebrated noon Mass at the hospital as he did the previous day, the Vatican spokesman noted.

The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Leo will lead the Sunday noon Angelus prayer on Oct. 18 from the window of the Apostolic Palace.

The morning's announcement of the pope's imminent discharge from the hospital came earlier than previously expected, as the Holy See Press Office had originally indicated that the pope would remain in the hospital for about a week following his Oct. 13 admission to Gemelli on the day of his surgery.

During the 90-minute video-assisted technique operation, doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung. Following the surgery, the Vatican revealed that the pope had been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma.

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The pope's discharge from the hospital comes less than one week since he announced to the world that he would be undergoing lung surgery during his Sunday Angelus address on Oct. 11, in which he disclosed that recent medical examinations had revealed a "well-contained" lung nodule that had been "detected at a very early stage."

According to Vatican News, further post-operation tests on the tissue removed were planned in the days following the surgery. The status of results of any additional laboratory analysis of tissue removed during surgery have not been made public.

(Courtney Mares is Vatican Editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney.)