Pope Leo passes 'calm' night after surgery to remove lung cancer tumour

POPE LEO XIV spent a calm night in hospital in Rome after having a cancerous tumour removed from his right lung in a 90-minute operation, the Vatican said this morning.

“The pope passed a calm night,” the Vatican said, without providing any more details on the 71-year-old, who underwent surgery at the Gemelli hospital on Tuesday.

The Vatican has said it expects the recovery to take around a week and all the pope’s audiences have been cancelled until 20 October.

“To ensure the procedure was radical, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed,” the Vatican said on Tuesday, adding that the operation “confirmed the diagnosis of a pulmonary adenocarcinoma, as suspected from the pre-operative tests”.

“The Holy Father was in the operating room for about 3 hours, and the duration of the operation itself was around 90 minutes. The surgery was successful and there were no complications,” the statement said.

The pontiff had walked into the hospital through the main entrance earlier in the day and waved to dozens of well-wishers who had gathered to greet him.

Leo is staying in a room on the 10th floor of the building, next to a papal suite with a private chapel that is currently under renovation.

Professor Federico Venuta, head of Thoracic Surgery at the Policlinico Umberto 1 hospital in Rome, told AFP Wednesday he expected Leo to be up and about immediately.

“Generally, on the first day, patients undergoing this type of procedure are mobilized immediately,” he said.

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“They have a follow-up X-ray, resume eating with a light breakfast, and then start physical therapy right away. The sooner they get out of bed, the better,” he added.

‘Long live the pope!’

In the hospital chapel, dozens of faithful prayed for the pope’s health during the operation.

“Long live the pope!” read a banner outside the hospital.

“I already know he’s on the mend and the hospital is doing everything it can to help him get better, so let’s hope he recovers soon,” student Chiara Ruvolo told AFP outside Gemelli.

World leaders have been wishing Pope Leo well following the news of his surgery and diagnosis. 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was happy to learn that the surgery was successful.

“Wishing him a full and speedy recovery as well as continued good health,” Modi said in a social media post. 

UN Secretary General António Guterres also wished him a speedy recovery, saying his thoughts and prayers were with the pope and the Catholic community. 

Edgars Rinkēvičs, the prime minister of Latvia, said he was “wishing strength and a full recovery for His Holiness”. 

Lithuania’s prime minister, Mindaugas Sinkevičius, said “Lithuanians join Catholics and people of goodwill around the world in standing with him during this difficult time, united in hope, solidarity, and prayer”.

With reporting from AFP