Pope Leo XIV leaves hospital 4 days after lung cancer surgery
What's next: He is due to lead the Angelus on Sunday, while doctors still await test results on whether the cancer has spread.
Pope Leo XIV returned to the Vatican on Saturday after leaving Rome’s Gemelli Hospital four days after surgery that removed the lower lobe of his right lung. The 71-year-old walked to his car without assistance after doctors said blood tests and chest imaging showed steady improvement. The Vatican said Leo is expected to lead the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, an early public reappearance after an operation that lasted about 90 minutes on Oct. 13. Doctors have said the tissue confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer, but they have not disclosed whether the disease had spread to nearby lymph nodes. The Vatican has also kept in place plans for a November trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.