VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV said on October 18 that he would gradually resume his activities after surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, offering a public update on his recovery without disclosing whether further cancer treatment will be necessary.
Speaking from a window of the Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter’s Square during the Sunday Angelus, Leo thanked people who had prayed for him during his hospitalization and expressed particular gratitude to the doctors, nurses and other staff at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.
“I have truly felt your support. Thank you!” the pope said, according to the official Vatican News transcript published on October 18. He added that the experience had made him feel especially close to people living with illness or infirmity.
Pope describes gradual return to activities
Concluding his remarks, Leo said: “Now that this delicate phase has passed—as you know—I will gradually resume my activities, always with the help of God and your prayers.”
The statement indicated an intention to resume work in stages, but did not provide a detailed timetable for public appearances or other papal responsibilities. It also did not amount to a declaration that the pope had fully recovered.
Before the surgery, the Prefecture of the Papal Household had announced that papal audiences would be cancelled through October 20. As of the latest official information reviewed for this article, a comprehensive revised schedule for the pope’s return to public duties had not been announced.
Surgery confirmed lung adenocarcinoma
Leo underwent thoracic surgery at Gemelli Hospital on October 13. In a statement issued that day, the Holy See Press Office published information from the pope’s doctors, Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora, confirming that surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung using a video-assisted technique.
The statement said an examination of tissue during the operation confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected from preoperative tests. The operation lasted approximately 90 minutes, and the doctors reported that it was successful and had no complications.
A subsequent update published by Vatican News on October 14 said blood tests and a chest X-ray showed that the pope’s postoperative recovery was progressing normally, with results within the expected range for the procedure. He had begun respiratory physiotherapy, was walking around his room and had resumed eating normally.
The diagnosis establishes that the removed tissue was cancerous. However, the official statements reviewed for this article did not establish the cancer’s stage, whether it had spread beyond the removed tissue, or whether additional treatment would be recommended.
Discharged from hospital on October 17
The Holy See Press Office announced on October 17 that the doctors considered Leo fit to leave Gemelli Hospital following their assessment that morning. The medical evaluation included blood tests and a chest X-ray.
He was discharged that afternoon and returned to the Vatican. Before leaving, he celebrated Mass in the hospital and thanked members of the medical and hospital teams, according to Vatican News.
Hospital discharge followed the medical team’s assessment of his immediate postoperative condition. It does not, by itself, establish that cancer treatment is complete or determine whether additional treatment will be required.
No public statement identified in the sources reviewed for this article provided a definitive plan for further treatment. The available information therefore does not support describing Leo as cancer-free or declaring that no additional treatment will be necessary.
November journey remains on Vatican calendar
The Vatican’s official 2026 travel calendar continues to list an apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17. The published itinerary includes engagements in several cities across the three countries.
The listing confirms that the trip remains on the published calendar, but it does not independently establish whether every engagement will proceed as scheduled following the pope’s surgery. The official material reviewed for this article did not provide a definitive post-surgery medical clearance for the full journey or announce a revised itinerary.
The trip’s status should therefore be distinguished from the pope’s stated intention to resume activities gradually. Any change to the itinerary, or an explicit medical assessment of his ability to travel, would require confirmation from the Vatican or the treating medical team.
Recovery details remain limited
Leo’s October 18 appearance provided a direct public update after his operation, while the Vatican’s medical statements documented the diagnosis, procedure, postoperative assessments and discharge. Those disclosures do not answer every question about his longer-term recovery.
The pope has not publicly provided a detailed medical prognosis in the remarks reviewed for this article. The official statements also do not establish whether further treatment will be required or specify how his workload will be adjusted during recovery.
For now, the clearest confirmed indication of his next steps is his own statement that he will resume activities gradually. The timing and extent of that return, along with any changes to the November journey, remain dependent on further official information.
Reporting Credit: Vatican News and the Holy See Press Office for the pope’s remarks, medical statements and official schedule; Associated Press for independent corroboration of the October 18 appearance and recovery.
