Pope Leo XIV Undergoes Lung Surgery for Cancer
Vatican cancels papal audiences through October 20 as 71-year-old pontiff recovers at Gemelli Hospital.
Carla Rooney
Pope Leo XIV has undergone surgery to remove part of his lung following a cancer diagnosis.
Archbishop Richard Moth, the Archbishop of Westminster and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, expressed "gratitude and relief" after the procedure.
Moth confirmed the diagnosis: "We now know that Pope Leo was diagnosed with lung carcinoma and, in this month of the Holy Rosary, we entrust his recovery to the maternal care of Our Lady Health of the Sick."
We now know that Pope Leo was diagnosed with lung carcinoma and, in this month of the Holy Rosary, we entrust his recovery to the maternal care of Our Lady Health of the Sick.
He further urged, "I ask that Catholics in England and Wales, and indeed all people of goodwill, pray for Pope Leo – in our homes and in our parishes – that he may be restored to full health after a period of rest and recuperation."
The 71-year-old pontiff is understood to have spent a peaceful night in the hospital. The Vatican announced the surgery was successful, on schedule, and as planned.
Pope Leo XIV will reportedly stay in a room at Gemelli Hospital while the traditional 10th-floor papal apartment undergoes renovations.
The lung surgery is believed to be his second spell in the hospital; he was previously hospitalized in 1985 in Peru with typhoid fever.
Pope Leo became the first American-born pope in spring 2025.
Dame Sarah Mullally, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Church of England's top bishop, met Pope Leo XIV in April, presenting him with gifts, including honey from Lambeth Palace Garden.