Pope Leo XIV is leaving Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Saturday, five days after surgery for lung cancer, and will lead the Angelus prayer on Sunday.
The Holy See Press Office said the pope's doctors found him fit for discharge after blood tests and a chest X-ray on Saturday morning. He will leave the hospital in the early afternoon and return to the Vatican. On Sunday, he will "lead the Angelus prayer from the window of the papal apartment." Before leaving, he will celebrate Mass in the room set aside for that purpose on the hospital's 10th floor.
The pope underwent surgery on Tuesday, when doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung and confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma. He was in the operating room for about three hours, and the operation itself lasted about 90 minutes. On Friday, the Vatican released the first images of him since surgery, showing him celebrating Mass. His doctors said his recovery lets him carry out his normal daily activities on his own. He resumed working from the hospital on Thursday. He has also thanked the doctors, nurses and staff who cared for him.
The Vatican has not indicated whether the cancer might have spread. It has also not announced whether he will need further treatment.
Priests have prayed the rosary outside the hospital in front of the statue of John Paul II. Believers around the world are expected to join him in prayer on Sunday.
Related Article:
- Pope Leo XIV Asks for Prayers Ahead of Lung Nodule Surgery This Week
- Pope Leo XIV Has a Good Second Night After Lung Cancer Surgery, Vatican Says
