Pope Leo Discharged: Vatican Confirms Saturday Exit

Pope Leo XIV will be discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Saturday afternoon, four days after undergoing surgery for lung cancer, the Vatican announced.

The 71-year-old pontiff was admitted on Tuesday, when doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung to extract a nodule diagnosed as pulmonary adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer. The Vatican said the surgery lasted about 90 minutes and was completed without complications.

“Fit for Discharge,” Doctors Say

In a Saturday morning statement, the pope’s physicians — Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora — said blood tests and a chest X-ray performed that morning showed his clinical condition allowed him to leave the hospital.

Before heading back to the Vatican in the early afternoon, Pope Leo is expected to celebrate a midday Mass in the chapel on the hospital’s 10th floor.

Sunday Angelus From the Papal Apartment

The Vatican confirmed that the pontiff will lead Sunday’s traditional Angelus prayer from the window of the papal apartment, marking a swift return to his public duties. It will be the first American pope’s weekly blessing since telling crowds last Sunday that he would need the operation.

Source: CNN