Pope Leo XIV leaves hospital 4 days after lung cancer surgery
What's next: Leo is set to lead Sunday prayers at St. Peter's Square, and doctors see no medical reason to scrap his Nov. 6-17 Latin America trip.
Pope Leo XIV returned to the Vatican on Saturday, four days after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung and confirmed he has lung adenocarcinoma. The 71-year-old left Rome's Gemelli Hospital on foot without assistance, waved to well-wishers and briefly stopped to greet a 13-year-old Ukrainian girl being treated for cancer in Italy.
Doctors said blood tests and chest imaging showed he was fit to go home, with post-operative recovery expected to take about a week. Leo is due to make his first public appearance since the operation on Sunday, leading the Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square. His surgeon, Stefano Margaritora, also said there were no clinical reasons to cancel the pope's planned Nov. 6-17 trip to Uruguay, Peru and Argentina.