Pope Leo XIV after his hospital stay: "I feel closer to those who suffer illness"
Discharged on Saturday after surgery for a malignant tumour in his right lung, Pope Leo led the Angelus from the Apostolic Palace and thanked doctors, saying he will gradually resume duties.
Published on 18/10/2026 - 17:02 GMT+2
Met with warm applause from the crowd of faithful who had gathered in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican on Sunday morning, Pope Leo XIV appeared punctually at noon at the window of the Apostolic Palace to lead the Angelus prayer.
Leo XIV was discharged on Saturday from Rome’s Gemelli hospital after a five‑day stay following the removal of the lower lobe of his right lung, due to the presence of a pulmonary adenocarcinoma.
"I want to thank all those who have prayed for me in these days. I really felt your support, thank you!" the Pontiff said. "I am particularly grateful to the doctors, nurses and all the staff of the Gemelli Polyclinic," the Pope continued, before describing how he experienced his time in hospital: "It made me feel in a special way close to all those who are going through illness and a condition of infirmity."
Leo XVI then said that in "this delicate phase" he will gradually resume his activities. The Pontiff is expected to travel to Latin America in the coming weeks.
How is Pope Leo? Professor Margaritora: "An ideal patient"
Professor Stefano Margaritora, the surgeon who operated on Leo XIV’s lung on Tuesday 13 October, spoke about the upcoming apostolic journey. In an interview with Vatican media he explained that there are no clinical reasons why this trip should not take place.
According to Margaritoria, at the time he was discharged from hospital the Pope was in "satisfactory" clinical condition. "The re‑expansion of the lung after the operation is progressing according to the time frame normally expected. Overall, therefore, his condition is good," the professor added.
He also said the discovery of the malignant tumour was accidental. "As unfortunately often happens, while carrying out routine abdominal tests, this small spot was found in the chest, at the base of the lungs. This is fairly common, because when radiological examinations of the abdomen are done, since the diaphragm is a kind of parachute, the lung bases are normally visible. But certainly, if this small spot had been a little higher, it would not have been seen," Margaritoria added.
The professor said he was satisfied with the operation and recounted how, in his post‑operative recovery, the Pope put "heart and soul" into it. "His determination to recover within a very short time is extremely effective from every point of view: it has truly been exemplary," he added.
"Pope Leo was an ideal patient. I don’t say that to flatter him, but he really was a patient who did not cause the slightest problem for the team looking after him," he also said.
Margaritoria then said that convalescence will take a couple of weeks and, for this reason, he believes the Pope’s trip to Latin America, scheduled to start on 6 November, can go ahead. "I would say there are no clinical reasons why this journey should not take place," the professor said.
