Pope Leo shakes hands with a child as he meets members and volunteers of the Circolo San Pietro at the Vatican, Monday 12 October 2026;
Credit: REUTERS /Vatican Media/Matteo Pernaselci
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Leo had a lower lobe of his right lung removed during surgery on Tuesday 13 October 2026 and was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin.
Leo, 71, was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove a growth on his lung that doctors found in a recent health checkup.
Tuesday's surgery lasted about 90 minutes and was successful with no complications, the Vatican said.
The pope has woken up normally and is resting in his hospital room.
The Vatican said previously that the pope was expected to spend a week in hospital recovering.
