Pope Leo set to leave hospital Saturday after lung surgery

Pope Leo is expected to leave hospital on Saturday afternoon following surgery for lung cancer, the Vatican said, after blood tests and chest imaging found him fit to return home.

He will lead prayers from his apartment at the Vatican to pilgrims in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, his first public engagement since he went into hospital.

The 71-year-old has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer, and doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung in an operation at Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday.

The pope's doctors have said his surgery was completed successfully, without complications. They have not yet disclosed the size of the tumour or whether the disease had spread to nearby lymph nodes, key factors in determining prognosis.

The cancer diagnosis for a pope known to be relatively young and energetic and who was elected only in May 2025 caused shock and raised questions about the future shape of his papacy as he deals with the illness.

-Reporting by Joshua McElwee;Editing by Keith Weir/Reuters