Pope Leo XIV Diagnosed With Lung Cancer After Surgery, Vatican Says.

The 71-year-old pontiff underwent a 90-minute operation at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday after doctors discovered a growth on his lung during what the Vatican described as routine medical checks. 

According to a Vatican medical bulletin, the operation was successful, and the Pope woke up normally before returning to his room on the hospital’s 10th floor following a brief period of observation. 

The Vatican said doctors removed the entire lower lobe of the Pope’s right lung to ensure that the procedure was thorough. Further tests are being conducted to determine whether the cancer has spread, according to a Vatican source quoted by Agence France-Presse. 

The diagnosis followed earlier assurances that the lung growth had been detected at an early stage. Pope Leo announced on Sunday that doctors had found a nodule on his lung and recommended its removal. 

He described the growth as “contained” and said it had been identified “at a very early stage”.

The Vatican said the medical team confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma after examining the growth, as had been suspected during pre-operative tests. It also stressed that the Pope had shown no symptoms of infection or illness. 

News of the diagnosis has prompted concern among Catholics and other observers around the world, despite reassurances about the outcome of the surgery. 

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the announcement had come as a shock.

“Am I worried? Yes, because I certainly wasn’t expecting anything like this,” Parolin said, describing the news as a “bolt from the blue”. 

However, he said cardinals had been struck by the Pope’s calmness and remained confident about his recovery.

Outside Gemelli Hospital, some Catholics gathered to express their support and pray for the pontiff. 

One woman, Carla, told the BBC: “He seems calm, so we are calm too — even though illness is always unpleasant.”

Another woman, Elsa, said she had been taken aback by the news, explaining that she had expected the Pope to be younger and healthier when he was elected.

“It turns out he’s vulnerable too,” she said.

The Pope reportedly decided to undergo surgery as soon as possible because he is scheduled to travel to Latin America in early November. The trip is expected to include Peru, where he spent many years as a missionary and later served as a bishop.

Cardinal Kikuchi Tarcisio Isao of Tokyo said on social media that he had met the Pope on Monday and that the pontiff had felt physically well. 

The Pope’s schedule has been cleared until 20 October to allow him time to recover from the operation. 

Before his admission to hospital, Leo announced the planned surgery during his traditional Sunday Angelus blessing from the balcony overlooking St Peter’s Square.

Crowds gathered outside Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday to greet him as he arrived. The Pope waved and smiled at people waiting behind barriers, some of whom had been waiting for several hours.

The Vatican has not yet provided a definitive update on whether the cancer has spread or how the diagnosis will affect the Pope’s planned international travel.