Pope Leo diagnosed with lung cancer after successful surgery, press office announces
The press office said in a later update that the Pope has received a diagnosis suspected from pre-operative examinations. The update comes on the anniversary of the day of the final apparition at Fatima, Portugal, where thousands had gathered the evening before to pray for the Holy Father’s successful operation.
Pope Leo XIV’s surgery to remove the small, localized nodule on his lung was successful and completed Oct. 13, the Holy See Press Office has announced. Several hours after the operation, the office announced that an examination has confirmed a diagnosis of lung cancer.
The office said the surgery was completed “within the expected timeframe and as planned, and the Holy Father has returned to his room.”
Later on Oct. 13, the office posted a second update stating that Pope Leo underwent thoracic surgery and that the operation lasted about 90 minutes.
"To ensure a radical resection, the lower lobe of his right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique," the office stated. "An intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected from the preoperative examinations."
Pope Leo entered Rome’s Gemelli Hospital the morning of Oct. 13. Many faithful gathered around the entrance, cheering for him when he arrived, and the Pontiff waved and smiled at them.
The surgery was completed two days after Pope Leo announced during the Sunday Angelus that doctors had discovered the nodule, which he said was “at a very early stage” and “well-localized.”
His hospital stay after surgery is expected to be about one week, as Zeale News previously reported. He held his audiences scheduled for Oct. 10, but all audiences set for Oct. 13-20 were canceled.
The surgery took place on the 109th anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, Portugal, where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared numerous times to three children. On the eve of the anniversary, hundreds of thousands of faithful gathered in Fatima to pray a Rosary for Pope Leo’s health.
The church at the Fatima apparition site holds a candlelight Rosary procession at 9 p.m. local time every evening, and it is typically attended by up to several hundred pilgrims. However, the massive square can accommodate hundreds of thousands of people, who entirely fill the space on dates particularly related to the Fatima apparitions, such as the Miracle of the Sun.
The thousands praying for Pope Leo’s successful surgery there joined the many faithful across the world who have been praying for his health after the initial announcement during the Sunday Angelus.
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