Pope Leo’s recovery from surgery is progressing as expected and he has begun walking in his hospital room and eating normally, the Vatican said yesterday, after doctors announced the 71-year-old pontiff was being treated for lung cancer.
World leaders, Catholics across the globe and senior cardinals at the Vatican have offered prayers for Leo after he had part of his right lung removed in an operation on Tuesday.
Blood tests and a chest X-ray carried out yesterday showed normal post-operative results, the Vatican said, adding that the pontiff had undergone respiratory physiotherapy.
The cancer diagnosis for a pope known to be relatively young and energetic and who was elected only in May 2025 caused shock and raised questions about the future shape of his papacy as he deals with the illness.
Leo normally follows a very busy schedule. He is due to make a tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17 and the Vatican Press office said yesterday that ‘nothing has changed’ regarding the planned trip.
However, Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori said yesterday that the dates could change because of the amount of time his recovery would take.
The pope is the ultimate earthly authority for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics and does not have a deputy who steps in when he is sick. When a pope is incapacitated, the business of the Vatican’s vast bureaucracy carries on as usual, holding off on any decisions that require papal approval.
A prayer was recited for Leo to have a good convalescence and complete healing during an open-air mass in St Peter’s Square yesterday following the surgery.
The pope has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer, and doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung during Tuesday’s operation in an effort to eliminate all cancerous tissue.
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