Declared Fit for Discharge

The Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV will be discharged from hospital on Saturday (17/10/2026), four days after undergoing lung cancer surgery at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome. The Pope's personal physician and surgeon declared Leo "fit for discharge" based on Saturday morning blood test results and a chest X-ray, along with an assessment of his clinical condition.

The 71-year-old pontiff is set to leave the hospital early Saturday afternoon and return to the Vatican, the Vatican said in a brief statement.

To Lead Sunday Angelus

Leo is scheduled to deliver the traditional Sunday Angelus blessing at noon on Sunday (18/10) from the window of the Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter's Square. It will be his first public appearance since the surgery.

On Tuesday (13/10), the lower lobe of his right lung was removed after doctors identified a suspected cancerous nodule. Tissue examination during the operation confirmed a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma — the most common type of lung cancer — detected at a very early stage. The operation lasted about 90 minutes with no complications.

Recovery Continues

Since the surgery, the Pope has shown strong signs of recovery. He held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, met with his top aides, and celebrated Mass in a makeshift hospital chapel.

The Vatican on Friday released the first photos of Leo since the surgery — showing him standing at a hospital chapel altar in green liturgical vestments — as doctors confirmed his "continued improvement." Leo had announced his planned surgery to the faithful a week earlier, a level of openness considered remarkable.