Pope has 'peaceful' night in hospital following surgery, Vatican says
Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent surgery.
ROME and LONDON -- Pope Leo XIV had a "peaceful" night in the hospital following his surgery on Tuesday, the Vatican's press office said early Wednesday.
"The Pope had a peaceful night," the office said. "More information will follow later today."
The pontiff was diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent surgery to have the lower lobe of his right lung removed, the Vatican said on Tuesday.
In a release from the Holy See Press Office, Dr. Luigi Carbone and Prof. Stefano Margaritora explained that the pontiff underwent a minimally invasive camera-guided surgical procedure.
"The intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected by the preoperative tests," the press release read.
Leo was in the operating room for about three hours, which included about 90 minutes for the "successfull" surgery, the Vatican said.
He's recovering at Gemelli Hospital, the largest hospital in Rome and the primary medical facility used by popes, including Leo's immediate predecessor, Pope Francis, who died in 2025 at the age of 88.