Pope Leo XIV, the 71-year-old leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, is recovering at Rome's Agostino Gemelli University Hospital after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung.
The Vatican announced on Tuesday evening that the Pope had thoracic surgery that afternoon to remove the lower lobe of his right lung. The procedure was carried out using a video-assisted technique — a minimally invasive method that typically means smaller incisions and a shorter recovery than traditional open surgery.
What We Know About the Surgery
"The Holy Father underwent thoracic surgery as scheduled. To ensure the radical removal of the tumor, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique," the Holy See Press Office said in a statement released after the operation. An examination of tissue during the operation confirmed what preoperative tests had already suspected: a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer.
The statement, prepared by the Pope's personal doctor, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and Prof. Stefano Margaritora, the thoracic surgeon who led the operation, said the procedure itself lasted about 90 minutes and was completed without complications. After waking up normally from anesthesia and spending a brief period under observation, the Pope was returned to his room on the 10th floor of the hospital.
How the Pope Is Recovering
Wednesday's medical updates brought encouraging news. Blood tests and a chest X-ray showed the Pope was recovering normally, his two doctors reported, with the Vatican describing the results as consistent with the expected course after this type of procedure.
The Pontiff has begun respiratory physiotherapy — standard after lung surgery to help the remaining lung tissue expand and function. He has started walking in his hospital room and has resumed his regular diet, the Vatican said. On Wednesday afternoon, he even celebrated Mass with his secretaries in a small chapel prepared for him on the 10th floor.
Two questions remain unanswered so far. The Vatican has not disclosed whether the cancer had spread beyond the removed lobe — lymph nodes are typically removed and tested during this kind of operation to check for spread, but those results have not been made public. And doctors have not discussed chemotherapy or other follow-up treatments at this stage, saying it is too early.
A Family Facing Two Battles
As the Pope recovered in Rome, another painful story emerged from his family. The Pope's elder brother, 74-year-old Louis Prevost, who lives in Florida, is also being treated for cancer — multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that affects plasma cells in the bone marrow.
The disclosure came from Louis's wife, Deborah Prevost, who spoke to CBS News on October 13. She said her husband was first diagnosed in 2017 and underwent stem-cell treatment in 2019 along with participation in a clinical trial. That treatment kept the disease at a very low level for years. But about three months ago, he fell out of remission and is now enrolled in another clinical trial at a hospital in Florida.
"We keep praying, keeping spirits up for both of them," Deborah said. She added that the two brothers had spoken by phone the previous week, before the Pope's surgery, with the Pope calling to let the family know what was happening. She described the family as "going through a lot," and said she hoped the Pope's cancer had been caught in its earliest stages.
Who Is Pope Leo XIV?
Pope Leo XIV — born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago in 1955 — made history when he was elected in May 2025 as the first pope born in the United States. Before his election, he spent decades as an Augustinian missionary and bishop in Peru, and later led the Vatican office responsible for the appointment of bishops worldwide.
His papacy has been marked by a calm, pastoral style. Known to be physically active — he plays weekly tennis and enjoys swimming — the Pope is the first Augustinian to lead the Catholic Church. His election was seen by many as a sign of continuity with the global, missionary focus of the modern Church.
This is the first serious health crisis of his pontificate, which has now entered its second year.
What a Papal Health Crisis Means for the Vatican
When a pope is hospitalized, the machinery of the Vatican adjusts. Regular public events — the Wednesday general audience, the Sunday Angelus blessing, and diplomatic meetings — may be postponed or suspended. The daily work of the Church's central administration, led by the Secretariat of State, continues as normal.
Rome's Gemelli hospital has long been known as the "Vatican's hospital" — previous popes, including John Paul II and Francis, were treated there, and crowds of faithful have often gathered outside its doors to pray during a pontiff's hospital stay. Devotional items were already being left near the statue of John Paul II outside the hospital on the day of Pope Leo's surgery.
The Holy See Press Office has a tradition of carefully managed communication during papal health episodes, issuing measured medical bulletins without speculation. That discipline matters: every word from the Vatican about the Pope's health is parsed around the world, and imprecise statements can spark rumors.
One practical question already emerging is whether the Pope's planned trip to Latin America next month will be affected. Peru's president has publicly suggested the visit might need to be altered, though the Vatican has not confirmed any change.
Why This Story Matters Worldwide
A papal health crisis is never just a medical story. The Pope is a head of state — the sovereign of Vatican City — as well as the spiritual leader of more than a billion Catholics and a major voice in global diplomacy. News of his illness has drawn reactions from religious and political leaders across continents.
The story has also landed in a week already heavy with global headlines. It broke the same week as our report on the ICC's ruling that Rodrigo Duterte is fit to stand trial, and our coverage of the 2026 Nobel Prize in Economics awarded to Hall and Woodford — a reminder of how quickly world events crowd the front page, and of how the Pope's health cuts through them all.
Worldwide, prayer vigils and messages of support have reflected the same global attention that crises elsewhere have drawn — from our report on Indonesia's wildfire emergency affecting 12.5 million people to disasters closer to home. For many believers, a pope's illness carries a personal weight that few other world leaders command.
What Comes Next
The immediate watch is on the Vatican's medical bulletins. Further postoperative tests, including the full histological examination of the removed tissue, are expected in the coming days. Those results — and any announcement about whether additional treatment will be needed — will shape what the Pope's recovery looks like in the weeks ahead.
Respiratory physiotherapy and gradual activity are the standard path back after a lobectomy: the remaining lung tissue slowly compensates, especially in otherwise healthy and active patients. Doctors have said nothing so far about the Pope resuming his full schedule, and the Vatican has asked for patience.
What should not happen is speculation. The Vatican has not discussed prognosis, and the doctors' silence on further treatment reflects medical prudence, not hidden bad news. In papal health episodes, the pattern is well established: official statements arrive when there is something confirmed to say, and everything else is rumor.
For now, the confirmed picture is this: the surgery was successful, the Pope is recovering as expected, walking, eating, and praying — and the world is watching and waiting for the next bulletin.