Cidade do Vaticano (Reuters) – Pope Leo XIV left the hospital in Rome on Saturday afternoon and returned to the Vatican four days after undergoing surgery to treat lung cancer, a disease that generated speculation about how it could affect his 17-month papacy.
The 71-year-old pope walked unassisted to the waiting car, waving to people who wished him well outside Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. He stopped to speak with a 13-year-old girl named Varvara, from Ukraine, who is in Italy for cancer treatment.
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He was photographed smiling broadly and waving from the open window as his black SUV left the hospital. He waved again to the crowd as he was taken back to the Vatican, but did not speak to anyone there before entering again into the world’s smallest country.
His doctors had said early Saturday that he was well enough to return home after completing the last blood tests and chest imaging, and that he was able to perform normal daily activities independently.
Leo, who underwent surgery on Tuesday to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, will undertake his first public engagement since the operation by leading the weekly prayers with pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square at noon on Sunday.
He was diagnosed with pulmonary adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer. The diagnosis for a pope known for being relatively young and energetic, and elected in May 2025, caused shock and raised questions about the future of his papacy as he grapples with the illness.
His doctors said the surgery was completed successfully, with no complications. They have not yet disclosed the size of the tumor or whether the disease has spread to nearby lymph nodes, key factors in determining prognosis.
Busy Schedule
The Vatican signaled on Friday that Leo, known for keeping a full schedule, intended to maintain his commitments, while some cardinals began to publicly express concern about the pope’s health.
In a sign that the pope was back at work, Leo spoke by telephone on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, requesting a ceasefire to help deliver essential supplies to the Ukrainian city of Oleshky, which is controlled by Russia.
The Vatican said that preparations for Leo’s visit, from November 6 to 17, to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru — one of the most intensive schedules planned for a pope in decades — were also “under way.” A list of journalists accredited to travel with Leo and cover the trip was released.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, said on Friday that Leo may need to adjust the pace of his schedule going forward “according to his health.” It is unusual for a cardinal to openly say that a pope may need to modify his routine.
The Vatican released on Friday the first images of the pope since his surgery, showing him celebrating Mass and standing, without assistance.
Lebanese pilgrim Abdul Halim Fatha was in St. Peter’s Square when Leo returned to the Vatican and expressed sadness over the pope’s cancer diagnosis. “But I know God will be with him and protect him,” he said.
