Pope Leo XIV walks as he recovers from lung surgery
Pope Leo XIV is recovering as expected after an operation to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, doctors said. He has begun walking, resumed a normal diet and started respiratory physiotherapy.
The 71-year-old was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma after tests on a lung nodule found before surgery. The roughly 90-minute operation at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital was reported as successful, with no complications; blood tests and an X-ray showed normal recovery. He is expected to stay in hospital for about a week, while further tests assessed whether the cancer had spread.
- Pope Leo has started walking after lung surgery.
- Doctors say his recovery is progressing normally.
- Tests are being used to assess whether the cancer has spread.
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The pope is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, which has about 1.4 billion members worldwide. Leo XIV, elected in 2025, is the first pope born in the United States.
Lung adenocarcinoma is a type of lung cancer that begins in cells which produce mucus. Doctors may remove part of a lung to treat a tumour; checks after surgery help establish whether the cancer has spread and whether further treatment is needed.
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Originally published by BBC World as “Pope walking and recovering ‘as expected’ after surgery, doctors say”.