Pope Leo XIV left Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, four days after surgeons removed part of his right lung, the Vatican said. The 71-year-old pontiff was deemed “fit for discharge” by his doctors after morning blood tests and a chest X-ray, marking a swift return from the first health scare of his papacy.
- What: Pope Leo XIV discharged from Gemelli Hospital, four days after surgery to remove a lung nodule confirmed as adenocarcinoma.
- When: Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026 — earlier than the Vatican’s initial estimate of a weeklong stay.
- Next: He returns to the Vatican Saturday afternoon and leads the Sunday Angelus prayer from the Apostolic Palace window on Oct. 18.
- Uncertain: Doctors have not disclosed the tumor’s size or whether the cancer spread to nearby lymph nodes — key factors for prognosis, Reuters reported.
Quick Answer
Pope Leo XIV was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, four days after lung cancer surgery. Doctors said blood tests and a chest X-ray showed he was fit to leave. The 71-year-old pope returns to the Vatican Saturday afternoon and will lead Sunday’s Angelus prayer from the Apostolic Palace window.
“Fit for discharge”
“Considering the blood tests, the chest X-ray done this morning, and evaluating the clinical picture, the Holy Father has been deemed fit for discharge,” wrote Dr. Luigi Carbone, the pope’s personal doctor, and Dr. Stefano Margaritora, his chief surgeon, in a joint statement published by the Vatican on Saturday morning.
The Vatican confirmed that “Pope Leo XIV will be discharged today from the Gemelli Polyclinic,” adding that he would leave the hospital in the early afternoon and return to the Vatican.
The discharge came earlier than the Vatican’s initial estimate of a weeklong hospital stay and followed signs of a strong recovery. On Oct. 16, Leo celebrated Mass in a room set up on the 10th floor of Gemelli Hospital and distributed Communion to medical staff, nursing staff, and members of the Vatican Gendarmerie, the press office said. He celebrated Mass again in the hospital chapel on Saturday before leaving.
Working from the hospital
Since the Oct. 13 operation, in which the lower lobe of his right lung was removed, the pope has continued official and religious duties from the hospital. He held a telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, raising the plight of civilians in Oleshky, a city in southern Ukraine, and met with senior aides and cardinals.
Medical bulletins have described a good post-operative recovery, saying Leo had been able to carry out normal daily activities on his own. The surgery confirmed a diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer. Doctors have said the operation was completed successfully without complications, but have not disclosed the tumor’s size or whether it had spread to nearby lymph nodes, Reuters reported.
What comes next
The Vatican said Leo will offer the traditional Sunday blessing from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 18 — a week after he announced he would need surgery.
The Vatican is remaining cautious about the pope’s travel plans. Leo is scheduled to make a trip to Latin America from Nov. 6–17, including Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, where he served as a missionary and bishop. “We need to see how the Pope feels once he is discharged — what his state of health is — and based on that, he will decide whether to keep or cancel his trips,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See Secretary of State, told reporters Friday, according to CNN.
Leo disclosed his condition himself last Sunday during the Angelus, telling the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square that doctors had found a nodule in his lung that would need to be removed. He is the first American pope, elected last May. Read our earlier report on his diagnosis and surgery.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Pope Leo discharged from the hospital?
Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, four days after his Oct. 13 surgery at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. Doctors Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora deemed him “fit for discharge” after Saturday morning blood tests and a chest X-ray.
What kind of cancer does Pope Leo have?
Pulmonary adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer, confirmed after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung to extract the cancerous nodule. The surgery was completed successfully without complications, his doctors said.
How serious is the pope’s prognosis?
His doctors have not yet disclosed the size of the tumor or whether the disease had spread to nearby lymph nodes — key factors in determining prognosis, Reuters reported. They have described his recovery as good so far.
Will Pope Leo lead Sunday’s Angelus?
Yes. The Vatican said he will return to the Vatican Saturday afternoon and recite the traditional Sunday noon Angelus prayer on Oct. 18 from the window of the Apostolic Palace.
Is the pope’s Latin America trip still on?
Undecided. The Vatican remains cautious about his scheduled Nov. 6–17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. Cardinal Pietro Parolin said Leo will decide whether to keep or cancel the trips based on how he feels after discharge.
Reporting based on Vatican statements and coverage by CNN, the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and USA Today. Details last checked Saturday, October 17, 2026; the situation is developing and details may change.
