Pope Leo XIV Celebrates Mass In Hospital After Lung Cancer Diagnosis

Pope Leo XIV has celebrated Mass at a hospital in Rome following surgery to remove part of his right lung, with the Vatican releasing the first pictures of the pontiff since the procedure.

The 71-year-old leader of the Roman Catholic Church was pictured on Friday wearing green vestments and standing behind a makeshift altar on the hospital’s 10th floor at Gemelli Hospital.

According to the Vatican press office, the Pope celebrated Mass alongside medical and nursing staff and expressed gratitude for their service.

The development comes after the pontiff was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma following surgery on Tuesday. The Vatican had earlier described the operation as successful, saying it was completed without complications.

In a statement after the procedure, the Vatican said the entire lower lobe of the Pope’s right lung was removed to ensure the surgery was thorough.

It added that he regained consciousness normally after the operation and returned to his room following a brief period of observation.

The pontiff was also reported to have had a peaceful night following the surgery.

Medical updates released on Friday indicated that his recovery was progressing positively.

His doctors said medical tests showed “a steady improvement in his general condition,” while a chest X-ray revealed “good recovery of the operated lung”.

The Pope is expected to remain at the hospital for approximately a week while he recovers.

Before undergoing the operation, Leo XIV had announced during his weekly Sunday prayers at St Peter’s Square that doctors had discovered a lung nodule and recommended its removal.

He described the growth as “well-contained” and said it had been detected at an early stage.

Although lung nodules are common and are not always cancerous, further examination confirmed that the growth was malignant, as suspected during pre-operative tests, according to the Vatican.

The Vatican also said the Pope had not displayed symptoms of infection or illness before the procedure.

Meanwhile, the pontiff made a diplomatic intervention on Friday by calling Russian President Vladimir Putin from his hospital bed to appeal for a ceasefire in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky, where thousands of residents reportedly face shortages of food and water.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, expressed hope that the conversation would lead to action.

“The fact that he accepted the call and spoke with the Pope may, I hope, be a sign that the Pope’s request will indeed be carried out,” Parolin said.

The Kremlin did not explicitly mention a ceasefire in its account of the conversation. Still, it said it supported the Vatican’s efforts to establish conditions for protecting residents and delivering essential supplies.

“The Vatican’s intention to help create the conditions necessary to ensure the safety of the town’s population and to organise vital supplies has been supported,” the Kremlin said.

It added, “It has been agreed to co-operate on this matter.”

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also called for action to address the situation in Oleshky, describing the circumstances facing residents as “desperate”.

The Pope’s hospitalisation and cancer diagnosis have raised questions among Catholics about his health and the implications for his duties as head of the Church while he undergoes treatment and recovery.