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Vatican releases first photos of Pope Leo XIV celebrating Mass at hospital
· Confirmed
In Short: The Vatican announced Pope Leo XIV's discharge from Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he underwent surgery for lung cancer.
On Saturday, the Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV was fit for discharge from Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he had been recovering since undergoing surgery for lung cancer on Tuesday. According to Angelus News and France 24 (France), the pope's personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and chief surgeon Dr. Stefano Margaritora stated that blood tests and a chest X-ray confirmed his fitness for discharge.
France 24 (France) reported that Pope Leo XIV was deemed fit for discharge after doctors evaluated his clinical condition. Meanwhile, Ukrinform (Ukraine) reported that the Vatican had released the first images of the pope since his surgery, showing him celebrating Mass at the hospital.
The Vatican press office noted that Pope Leo celebrated Mass at the hospital on both Thursday and Friday, with off-duty medical staff and members of the Vatican Gendarmerie in attendance. According to Archdiocese of Miami and OSV News, the pope distributed Communion and remained in good spirits during the Mass.
Doctors found a malignant tumor in the pope's right lung and successfully removed its lower lobe in an attempt to extract the entire tumor, as reported by Angelus News and NBC News. The Vatican stated that further post-operation tests on the tissue removed were planned in the days following the surgery.
Pope Leo XIV continued his daily work routine from the hospital, receiving visits from Archbishop Paolo Rudelli and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, as noted by OSV News and TheCatholicSpirit.com. The pope also expressed his deep concern about the humanitarian situation in Oleshky, Ukraine, and called for a humanitarian ceasefire, according to Kyivpost (Ukraine) and AFP.
The Vatican press office confirmed that the pope would give the traditional Angelus prayer and blessing to a crowd in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, as reported by BBC (United Kingdom) and Coasttv. Pope Leo XIV thanked the doctors, nurses, and staff at the Gemelli Hospital for their care and expressed gratitude to those who prayed for him.
Pope Leo XIV will deliver the traditional noon blessing Sunday from a window overlooking St. Peter's Square, as announced by Castanet. The Vatican also released a list of journalists and media professionals who will accompany the pope on his trip to three Latin American countries, scheduled to begin on Nov. 6.
The Vatican press office stated that there were no clinical reasons preventing the pontiff from making his planned trip to Latin America next month, as reported by Dr. Stefano Margaritora to Vatican News.
Both France 24 (France) and Ukrinform (Ukraine) reported that Pope Leo XIV was discharged from the hospital on Saturday, with doctors confirming his continued improvement in recovery. The Vatican press office noted that the pope would gradually resume his official duties while continuing his recovery at the Vatican.
Despite the differing details provided by various outlets, they all agreed that Pope Leo XIV was fit for discharge from the hospital and would continue his recovery at the Vatican, with plans to resume his official duties in the coming days.
What this adds
The Vatican's announcement of Pope Leo XIV's discharge and continued recovery aligns with prior WarpBeat reports, confirming the pope's fitness for discharge and his ongoing recovery process.
Background
The Vatican announced Saturday that Pope Leo XIV has been discharged from Rome's Gemelli Hospital, four days after undergoing surgery for lung cancer.
Doctors deemed Pope Leo XIV fit for discharge after surgery, allowing him to continue his recovery at the Vatican.
What's confirmed
- In a joint statement released by the Vatican that morning, the pope's personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and chief surgeon Dr. Stefano Margaritora said, "Based on the blood tests and chest X-ray performed this morning, and after evaluating his clinical condition, the Holy Father has been deemed fit for discharge."
- In a statement released Oct. 16, the Vatican press office said the pope celebrated Mass in a room set up on the hospital's 10th floor, with off-duty medical staff and members of the Vatican Gendarmerie.
- Pope Leo has continued his daily work routine from the hospital, the Vatican spokesman said, noting that the pontiff received a visit Oct. 15 from Archbishop Paolo Rudelli, the substitute secretary for general affairs at the Vatican Secretariat of State.
- "allows him to carry out normal daily activities completely independently."
- "So regarding where he might appear, further information will follow."
- "confirmed the constant improvement in his general condition."
- In the afternoon, the Vatican press office said Pope Leo received, in separate visits, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the newly elected dean of the College of Cardinals, and Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the papal vicar for Rome and archpriest of the Basilica of St. John Lateran.
- “The Holy Father underwent thoracic surgery as scheduled. To ensure the radical removal of the tumor, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique. An intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected from preoperative tests,” the Holy See Press Office said in a statement concerning the operation performed Tuesday afternoon at Romeʼs Agostino Gemelli University Hospital.
- The Vatican on Friday released the first images of Pope Leo XIV since his lung cancer surgery, showing him celebrating Mass, as doctors said that tests confirmed the “continued improvement” in his recovery.
- On Friday morning, the 71-year-old American pope “underwent blood tests and a chest X-ray … which confirmed the steady improvement in his overall condition,” the pope’s doctors said in a statement from the Vatican’s press office.
- The Vatican said the Pope will give the traditional Angelus prayer and blessing to a crowd in St Peter's Square on Sunday, as he did last week when he surprised the world by announcing the surgery.
What's still developing
- “Since almost a week has already passed, I believe the Pope could be fully recovered in another ten days or so.” As he left the hospital, Pope Leo stopped to speak with a 13-year-old Ukrainian girl named Varvara who had previously greeted him while being treated for cancer in Rome earlier this year, according to Vatican News.
- Oleshky also has no electricity, gas or running water, and the hospital is barely functional, according to previous Fox News Digital reporting.
- Pope Leo XIV appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin for a humanitarian ceasefire in the occupied city of Oleshky during a phone call from the hospital, according to a Vatican News report.
- “Do not be afraid of your smallness”: This was the encouragement offered by Pope Leo XIV to the bishops of the Conference of Latin Bishops in the Arab Regions (CELRA), who were received in audience at the Vatican on September 3, 2026.
- Louis Prevost, Pope Leo's eldest brother, is also undergoing cancer treatment The wife of Pope Leo XIV's brother says her husband is also receiving treatment for cancer after the Vatican announced the Pope has the disease.
- The Vatican released some of them today, including a letter from an 18-year-old named Giorgia, who wrote to him in English.
- This was Leo’s fourth day in the hospital after he had surgery to remove what he called a “small, localized nodule” from his lung.