By Joshua McElwee
VATICAN CITY, Oct 14 (Reuters) – Pope Leo spent a peaceful night in hospital after undergoing surgery for lung cancer, the Vatican said on Wednesday, adding that further information about his condition would be released later in the day.
The pope was diagnosed on Tuesday with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer, after doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung during an operation.
The 71-year-old pontiff had been admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital after doctors discovered a growth during a recent routine health check.
The operation lasted about 90 minutes and was completed without complications, the pope’s lead surgeon, Stefano Margaritora, and his personal physician, Luigi Carbone, said late on Tuesday.
The doctors said in a joint statement that the entire lower lobe of the right lung was removed in an effort to eliminate all cancerous tissue. Human lungs have five lobes — three in the right lung and two in the left.
The Vatican has not disclosed the size of the tumour or whether the disease had spread to nearby lymph nodes, key factors in determining prognosis.
The Vatican said earlier this week that the pope was expected to remain in hospital for about a week and that all his public engagements had been cancelled until October 20.
Elected by the world’s cardinals in May 2025, Leo is relatively young for a Church leader. He enjoys sports, including tennis, and is not known to be a smoker or to have had recent health issues.
MESSAGES OF SYMPATHY
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he and his wife Jeanette were praying for the pope, an American who was born in Chicago.
“May the Lord give him strength and the Holy Spirit guide the medical professionals taking care of the Holy Father,” he said on X.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whose role is largely ceremonial, wished Leo a speedy and full recovery, German Catholic news agency KNA reported.
“The pope’s voice on the current issues and challenges of our time is of particular importance and of value to many people worldwide, including in Germany, beyond denominational boundaries,” Steinmeier was quoted as saying.
SOUTH AMERICAN TRIP SCHEDULED
Leo normally follows a very busy schedule. He is due to make an 11-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17, but it was not clear if this trip would still go ahead.
The pope is the ultimate earthly authority for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics and does not have a deputy who steps in when he is sick. When a pope is incapacitated, the business of the Vatican’s vast bureaucracy carries on as usual, holding off on any decisions that require papal approval.
A Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday was led by Filipino Cardinal Luis Tagle in place of Leo. The pope last week approved Tagle as the dean of the Church’s College of Cardinals, in the first selection of an Asian cleric to the elite role.
(Additional reporting by Thomas Seythal in BerlinWriting by Crispian Balmer and Keith Weirediting by Giulia Segreti, Alexandra Hudson)
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