Pope Leo Released from Hospital 4 Days After Cancer Surgery

Pope Leo left hospital on Oct. 17, returning to the Vatican earlier than expected after surgery for lung cancer 17 months into his papacy.

Leo, 71, was shown walking independently as he left Rome’s Gemelli Hospital in a video released by the Vatican. He thanked his medical and nursing team, and waved to those gathered outside the hospital to greet him and extend their well wishes for his recovery.

After stopping to speak to a 13-year-old girl visiting from Ukraine for her own cancer treatment and shaking hands with a group of Franciscan friars, the pope left the hospital grounds in his black SUV, smiling and waving to supporters through an open window.

The pope was hospitalized for only four days after having the lower lobe of his right lung removed in an operation on Oct. 13. He had initially been expected to remain in hospital for a week.

His doctors declared earlier Saturday that he was well enough to be released and would be able to perform his normal daily activities independently. 

Dr. Stefano Margaritora, the pope’s lead surgeon, said Leo would be fully recovered in another 10 days.

The pope was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, a common type of non-small cell lung cancer, following the Oct. 13 surgery. According to Margaritora, the tumor was discovered by chance during a routine abdominal examination.

The surgery was successful and without complications, his doctors said, adding that when caught in its early stages, the cancer causes no symptoms.

“We saw that in the Holy Father’s case: he had no respiratory symptoms and felt perfectly well,” Margaritora told Vatican News.

Further pathology results from the removed tissue, which will provide information on any spread of the adenocarcinoma, are still pending.

As the public awaits clarity on Leo’s prognosis, the surgery raised questions about the future shape of Leo’s papacy.

The pope, who is known for keeping a busy schedule, appeared in good spirits about keeping up his commitments.

The Vatican said on Friday that Leo held a phone call that day with Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging a ceasefire to help get vital supplies into Oleshky, a Russian-controlled Ukrainian town.

Margaritora said on Oct. 17 that Leo expects to go ahead with his planned visit to South America next month.

“As for a long trip involving air travel in about three weeks, I would say there are no clinical reasons why it should not take place,” he said.

The visit includes leading some 50 events in Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru over the 11-day period from Nov. 6 to 17, covering some 19,000 miles and taking the Pope to 10 cities. It will be one of the most intense trips arranged for a pope in decades.

The pope spent more than a decade of his pastoral career serving communities in South America. He was ordained bishop in 2014 and appointed to the diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2015.

On Sunday, the pope is scheduled to lead weekly prayers with pilgrims at noon from his apartment overlooking St. Peter’s Square.

Reuters contributed to this report.