Pope Leo had lobe of lung removed as doctors found cancer, Vatican says

Pope Leo shakes hands with a child as he meets members and volunteers of the Circolo San Pietro at the Vatican, October 12, 2026.   Vatican Media/­Matteo Pernaselci/Handout via REUTERS     ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY.     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Pope Leo shakes hands with a child as he meets members and volunteers of the Circolo San Pietro at the Vatican, October 12, 2026. Vatican Media/­Matteo Pernaselci/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY (REUTERS)


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VATICAN CITY, Oct 13 — Pope Leo ​had a lower lobe of his right lung ‌removed during surgery on Tuesday and ⁠was diagnosed ​with lung ⁠adenocarcinoma, a common form ‌of lung ‌cancer, the Vatican said in ⁠a medical ⁠bulletin.

Leo, 71, was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove a growth on ‌his lung that ​doctors found in a recent health checkup.

Tuesday's surgery lasted about 90 minutes and was successful with no complications, the Vatican said. The ​pope has woken ‌up normally ‌and ⁠is resting in his hospital room.

The Vatican said previously that the pope was ‌expected to spend ​a week in ‌hospital recovering.

(Reporting ⁠by ​Joshua McElwee; Editing by Crispian ​Balmer)

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