Pope Leo XIV has lung cancer and had the lower lobe of his right lung removed at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday, the Vatican said.
In a medical bulletin, the Vatican said surgery confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, which pre-operative tests had suggested. The 71-year-old spent about three hours in the operating room, and the surgery itself lasted about 90 minutes.
“The surgery was successful, and there were no complications,” the Vatican statement said.
The operation was performed by a team led by Gemelli’s chief thoracic surgeon, Dr Stefano Margaritora. The pope announced on Sunday that a small, localised nodule had been found and would be removed. It is the first publicly disclosed major health problem of his 17-month papacy.
The Vatican has cancelled all of the pope’s audiences through 20 October. For Sri Lanka’s Catholic community, which is among the largest religious groups in the country, updates on his recovery are likely to be followed closely.
