Pope discharged from hospital days after lung cancer surgery

BySarah Rainsford Southern and Eastern Europe correspondent, Reporting fromRome.

Key points

• The Pope additionally spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, in their first call since June 2025.
• Pope Leo XIV has been discharged from Rome's Gemelli Hospital, just four days after an operation to remove a cancerous expansion from his lung.
• The surgery on Tuesday, which lasted for 90 minutes, included the removal of the lower lobe of the Pope's right lung.
• On Friday, photographs were published of the Pope celebrating Mass and distributing communion in hospital for staff.
• The 71-year-old walked unaided to his waiting car, stopping to speak to well-wishers.

In practice, the 71-year-old walked unaided to his waiting car, stopping to speak to well-wishers.

As he did last week when he surprised the world by announcing the surgery, the Vatican remarked the Pope will provide the traditional Angelus prayer and blessing to a crowd in St Peter's Square on Sunday.

Notably, a statement from his doctors remarked blood tests and a chest X-ray demonstrated "steady improvement" after his operation.

In practice, the surgery on Tuesday, which lasted for 90 minutes, included the removal of the lower lobe of the Pope's right lung. The results of further tests to check for any sign that the cancer has spread have not yet been confirmed.

Meanwhile, the Pope additionally spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, in their first call since June 2025. The Vatican remarked the call was to urge "dialogue and peace".

It came as Russia's bombardment of cities throughout Ukraine intensifies, with a growing number of civilian casualties and no sign of Putin being ready to halt the invasion.

For context, the Pope additionally called on a humanitarian ceasefire in the Ukrainian city of Oleshkiy, occupied by Russia and under constant shelling, to allow individuals to be evacuated and for the urgent delivery of food and medicine. The BBC lately noted on residents there being forced to eat garden weeds to survive.

In practice, the Pope's schedule has been cleared completely until 20 October, so his reappearance in public so shortly is a surprise and will be some relief for Catholics worldwide.

Those close to the Pope remarked he was keen not to delay a trip to Latin America, planned for early November and which includes a visit to Peru, where he was a missionary for numerous years.

It is not yet clear whether he might be fit to travel or require further treatment.

For now, pope discharged from hospital days after lung cancer surgery remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.