Cardinal Tagle steps in to lead Mass as Pope recovers from lung surgery

Pope Leo XIV spent a peaceful night at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital after undergoing successful surgery for lung cancer on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, the Vatican announced. With the 71-year-old pontiff recovering, Cardinal Luis Antonio "Chito" Tagle, the newly approved Dean of the College of Cardinals, presided over Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday (October 14, 2026) at 4:00 p.m. Philippine Time (10:00 a.m. Vatican time), according to an official statement posted on Cardinal Tagle's social media page. Jesuit Father Giacomo Costa noted during a Vatican briefing that the Mass will include special intentions for the Pope’s health. Doctors diagnosed Pope Leo with lung adenocarcinoma—the most common form of lung cancer—after removing the lower lobe of his right lung during a 90-minute procedure. The operation was performed by lead surgeon Professor Stefano Margaritora alongside personal physician Dr. Luigi Carbone using video-assisted surgery. In a joint medical bulletin, the doctors stated that the procedure was completed without complications and aimed to eliminate all localized cancerous tissue. Holy See Press Office director Matteo Bruni confirmed that following the surgery, Pope Leo returned to his room on the hospital's 10th floor, asked for dinner, and spent the evening with his secretaries and Vatican staff. The Vatican added that the Pope is expected to remain hospitalized for about a week, with all public audiences canceled through October 20. The surgery comes just days after the Vatican announced that Pope Leo had approved Cardinal Tagle’s election as Dean of the College of Cardinals on October 8. Tagle, 69, is the first Asian cleric in Church history to hold the historic position. Tagle succeeds 92-year-old Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who is retiring. A former Archbishop of Manila who has served as Pro-Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization since 2020, Tagle will hold the title for a five-year renewable term. As Dean of the College of Cardinals, considered the "first among equals" within the Church's high hierarchy, Tagle will be responsible for presiding over the College and organizing any future papal conclave in the Sistine Chapel should a vacancy arise. Paraluman News with reports from Reuters (Joshua McElwee and Crispian Balmer; editing by Andrew Heavens and Giulia Segret)