Original Coverage & Source Attribution: dianemontagna.substack.com
ROME, 13 October 2026 — Pope Leo XIV underwent thoracic surgery at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital this afternoon. The operation was successful, with no complications, but tests confirmed that the lung nodule removed was cancerous, the Vatican said.
According to a Holy See press statement issued just before 10pm (Rome), “surgeons removed the lower lobe of the Pope’s right lung using a video-assisted technique,” with the aim of making the operation “radical,” meaning complete removal of the diseased tissue.
“An intraoperative histological examination confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected from pre-operative tests,” the statement said. Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of non-small cell lung cancer and the most common lung cancer overall.
The Pope spent about three hours in the operating room, with the surgery itself lasting roughly ninety minutes. He woke up normally and, after a brief period of observation, returned to his room on the tenth floor, the bulletin said.
The surgical team was led by Prof. Stefano Margaritora, assisted by Prof. Elisa Meacci, Dr. Maria Teresa Congedo and Dr. Leonardo Petracca Caravella. The anesthesiology team comprised Prof. Massimo Antonelli, Dr. Giovanni Punzo and Dr. Giuseppe Bello.
The Pope announced his intention to undergo surgery at the end of his Sunday Angelus address in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday. He said doctors had recently found a nodule confined to his lung during medical examinations. It was detected at a very early stage and is well localized, he said. Doctors advised intervening, and he decided to have the nodule removed this week.
He thanked the faithful for their spiritual closeness and asked for their prayers.
At present, the Pope’s audiences have been cancelled until Oct. 20, with further updates on his recovery period expected soon.
