Pope Leo XIV was photographed celebrating Mass at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Friday, the first images released since he underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung. The Vatican said tissue examined after the operation confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, a form of lung cancer.
The 71-year-old pope had undergone thoracic surgery on Tuesday and had spent four days recovering at the hospital. In the Friday images, he was standing at an altar in green vestments in a chapel set up at the hospital and distributing Communion. The Holy See Press Office said medical and nursing staff from Gemelli and members of the Vatican City State Gendarmerie Corps attended the service.
According to the Vatican statement, the pope used his homily to thank doctors, nurses and orderlies for their daily care of patients and for their work supporting him. The Vatican also described his overall condition as showing “steady improvement.” Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora said his postoperative recovery enabled him to carry out ordinary daily activities independently.
The report said the pope planned to make his first public appearance since surgery on Sunday, when he was expected to lead the noon Angelus, a regular papal event. His planned trip to South America in November was reportedly still scheduled, but whether he would take part remained uncertain.
Fox News medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel, who said he had not treated the pope, described the procedure as involving a small incision and video-assisted thoracoscopy. He said that approach generally involves less pain and a quicker recovery. Siegel also said the pope’s prior health and activity level could aid recovery. He told Fox News Digital that removal of one of the right lung’s three lobes should not necessarily have a major effect on daily activity, particularly if pain is controlled and lung function was good beforehand.
Siegel’s remarks were general medical observations, not a direct assessment based on treating the pope. The supplied report did not give details about the cancer’s stage or tumor size.
Lary Robinson, an oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center who also said he had not treated the pope, told Fox News Digital that lung cancer can occur in people who have never smoked. He said roughly 80% of lung cancers occur among people who smoke or used to smoke, while estimating that never-smokers account for about 10% of male lung cancer patients and 25% of female patients.
Robinson said a lobectomy is generally performed when disease is localized, and suggested the pope may have localized cancer. He said that if it proved to be stage 1, the chance of cure could be high—around 90%, depending on tumor size. He also cautioned that pathology results would be needed to determine whether additional treatment was appropriate. The report did not establish the pope’s stage or prognosis.
