Pope Leo XIV lung surgery: right lobe removed, Vatican confirms adenocarcinoma
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The first US-born pope, 71, is recovering at Rome's Gemelli hospital after a 13 October operation. Our sourced guide sets out what the Vatican has and has not said, then his life, career, places, habits and 10 common questions.
Original report
As of 14 October 2026, 09:30 IST
On 13 October 2026, Pope Leo XIV had the lower lobe of his right lung removed at Rome's Policlinico Gemelli hospital. A Vatican bulletin, as quoted by Deccan Chronicle, said the operation was successful with no complications and named the diagnosis as pulmonary adenocarcinoma (Deccan Chronicle, 2026).
The pope is 71 and had no previously known health problems, the Associated Press reported (AP, 2026). This guide puts the verified health timeline first, then his life, career, places and habits, and ends with 10 questions readers ask. Where the Vatican or our sources have not said something, we say so. See how every outlet covered it.
Pope Leo XIV's lung surgery: the timeline in five days
The health news moved from a small nodule to a confirmed diagnosis in two days.
- 11 October: at the Sunday Angelus in St Peter's Square, the pope said doctors had found a small, localised nodule in his lung at a very early stage, and that he had decided to have it removed (AP, 2026; NPR, 2026).
- 11 October: Holy See Press Office director Matteo Bruni said the operation was planned for the first days of the week, with about one week of recovery (AP, 2026; NPR, 2026).
- Before surgery: the Vatican did not say whether the nodule was benign or malignant, the Free Press Journal reported (Free Press Journal, 2026).
- 13 October: Bruni told AFP the pope would be admitted in the late morning; Vatican News says he was admitted that day and the procedure was completed successfully (Free Press Journal, 2026; Vatican News, 2026a).
- After surgery: the bulletin confirmed pulmonary adenocarcinoma, according to Deccan Chronicle and The Sunday Guardian (Deccan Chronicle, 2026; Sunday Guardian, 2026).
- Until 20 October: public audiences are suspended (Free Press Journal, 2026; Deccan Chronicle, 2026).
That is the sequence. Here is what each part of it does and does not tell us.
What we know
The Vatican's own words, as outlets quoted them, are short and specific.
- The bulletin said: "Surgery was successful and there were no complications" (Deccan Chronicle, 2026).
- Surgeons removed the lower lobe of the right lung to ensure radical treatment, the bulletin said (Deccan Chronicle, 2026).
- Tests during the operation confirmed the diagnosis that pre-operative tests had suggested, The Sunday Guardian reported (Sunday Guardian, 2026).
- The operation took 90 minutes, according to the bulletin as reported by both outlets. Deccan Chronicle alone reports about 3 hours in the operating room in total (Deccan Chronicle, 2026).
- The Sunday Guardian alone reports the technique as video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, known as VATS (Sunday Guardian, 2026).
- Deccan Chronicle alone reports that he woke up normally, asked for dinner and is on the 10th floor of Gemelli, which has a papal apartment (Deccan Chronicle, 2026; AP, 2026).
- The expected hospital stay is about one week (NPR, 2026; Sunday Guardian, 2026).
What we don't know yet
Several basic points remain unanswered in every source we read.
- Staging and next treatment: the bulletin did not disclose cancer staging or future treatment plans, The Sunday Guardian reported (Sunday Guardian, 2026).
- Discharge date: the Vatican has not given one.
- Surgeons: no official names appeared in the pages we read.
- Who covers his duties: the Vatican has not said.
- Angelus and Masses: the Vatican has not said whether they change.
- The Latin America trip: a visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru is planned for 6 to 17 November. The Vatican has not addressed it since the surgery, The Sunday Guardian reported, and Deccan Chronicle calls it uncertain. It has not been announced as postponed (Sunday Guardian, 2026; Deccan Chronicle, 2026).
We do not speculate on his prognosis. The next section is general medical background only.
General background, not about the pope
These are general statements by named sources about lung nodules and lung cancer. None of them describes Pope Leo XIV's case.
- Before the diagnosis was known, Dr Panagis Galiatsatos told NPR that "the majority of lung nodules are benign" (NPR, 2026).
- The Sunday Guardian explains, in general terms, that adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer in the US, at about 40%, and is often found in non-smokers (Sunday Guardian, 2026).
- The Free Press Journal cited experts who say patients are generally advised to avoid air travel for about 20 days after such procedures (Free Press Journal, 2026).
The reaction from public figures has been about the man as much as the illness.
Leaders pray for his recovery
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni pointed to "the serenity and calm" with which he spoke about the operation (Sunday Guardian, 2026). Chicago's Cardinal Blase Cupich asked people to pray for "his swift recovery" (Fox 32 Chicago, 2026).
Chicago's interest is personal: it is where his story starts.
His life: from Chicago to Rome
Robert Francis Prevost was born on 14 September 1955 in Chicago, according to Wikipedia's biography (Wikipedia, 2026). He was raised in Dolton, Illinois (Fox 32 Chicago, 2026). The facts below rest on Wikipedia alone, which we flag as a single source.
- Family: parents Louis Marius Prevost and Mildred Agnes Martinez; two older brothers, Louis Martin and John Joseph (Wikipedia, 2026).
- Education: a mathematics degree from Villanova in 1977, a Master of Divinity from Catholic Theological Union in 1982, and a canon law licentiate (1984) and doctorate (1987) from the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas in Rome (Wikipedia, 2026).
- Religious life: entered the Order of St Augustine's novitiate in 1977, took solemn vows in 1981 and was ordained a priest in Rome on 19 June 1982 (Wikipedia, 2026).
- Languages: English, Italian, Spanish and Latin (Wikipedia, 2026).
- Citizenship: US-born and a Peruvian citizen since 2015 (Wikipedia, 2026).
His working life took him far from Chicago.
His career: Peru, the Augustinians, then the Vatican
He spent most of his career outside the US, mainly in Peru and Rome (Wikipedia, 2026).
- 1985 to 1998: missionary in Peru, including the seminary in Trujillo.
- 1999 to 2001: Prior Provincial of the Augustinians' Chicago-based province.
- 2001 to 2013: Prior General, head of the Augustinian order worldwide.
- 2015 to 2023: Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru.
- 2023: Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops; made a cardinal on 30 September 2023.
- 8 May 2025: elected pope on the fourth ballot, taking the name Leo XIV as a nod to Leo XIII's social teaching and to the challenges of AI (Wikipedia, 2026).
The AP describes him as the first US-born pope (AP, 2026). This profile does not cover the documents of his papacy, which we have not yet researched.
Places: where he has lived and travelled
He has lived in Chicago and Dolton, Rome, Trujillo and Chiclayo (Wikipedia, 2026). As pope he lives at the Apostolic Palace, and Castel Gandolfo was restored as a summer residence in July 2025 (Wikipedia, 2026).
- End of 2025: Turkey and Lebanon (Vatican News, 2026b).
- Announced on 25 February 2026: Monaco on 28 March; Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea from 13 to 23 April; Spain from 6 to 12 June (Vatican News, 2026b). We have not verified that each took place as planned.
- Planned: Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, 6 to 17 November (Free Press Journal, 2026).
- India: no visit has been announced. A search summary of an AsiaNews report, whose page we could not open, says the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India formally invited him in October 2025 (AsiaNews, 2025).
Castel Gandolfo is also where his best-documented habit lives.
His habits: tennis, swimming and riding
On Mondays and Tuesdays at Castel Gandolfo he plays tennis with his secretary, swims and rides horses, The Boston Globe reported on 2 June 2026 (Boston Globe, 2026). As a cardinal in 2023, he said in an Augustinian interview, quoted by the Globe: "I consider myself quite the amateur tennis player" (Boston Globe, 2026).
We found no named-source reporting on his reading, music or food, so we leave them out.
Questions people are asking
What surgery did Pope Leo XIV have?
Surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung. Deccan Chronicle and The Sunday Guardian both report the operation at Gemelli on 13 October (Deccan Chronicle, 2026; Sunday Guardian, 2026).
Does Pope Leo XIV have cancer?
The Vatican bulletin names the diagnosis as pulmonary adenocarcinoma. The Sunday Guardian reports that the bulletin did not disclose staging (Sunday Guardian, 2026).
Is the pope in danger?
The Vatican has not commented on his prognosis. Its bulletin said the surgery was successful with no complications (Deccan Chronicle, 2026).
When will the pope return to work?
The Vatican has not given a date. Public audiences are suspended until 20 October and the hospital stay is expected to last about a week (Free Press Journal, 2026; NPR, 2026).
Who is running the Church while he recovers?
The Vatican has not said. None of the sources we read gave details (NPR, 2026).
Questions about his life
How old is Pope Leo XIV?
He is 71. The AP gave his age when he announced the surgery on 11 October (AP, 2026).
Where was Pope Leo XIV born?
In Chicago, on 14 September 1955. That is according to Wikipedia's biography (Wikipedia, 2026).
Is Pope Leo XIV American?
Yes, he is the first US-born pope. Wikipedia records that he also became a Peruvian citizen in 2015 (AP, 2026; Wikipedia, 2026).
How long has Leo XIV been pope?
Since 8 May 2025. He was elected on the fourth ballot of the conclave (Wikipedia, 2026).
Will Pope Leo XIV visit India?
No visit has been announced. A search summary of an AsiaNews report, which we could not open, says Indian bishops invited him in October 2025 (AsiaNews, 2025).
What happens next
Public audiences stay suspended until 20 October, and the November trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru is due to start on 6 November unless the Vatican says otherwise (Free Press Journal, 2026). Follow the full coverage of the pope's surgery for each new bulletin.
References
- AsiaNews (2025) Bishops issue formal invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit India. AsiaNews. Available at: Bishops issue formal invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit India (Accessed: 14 October 2026; search summary only, page could not be opened).
- Associated Press (AP) (2026) Pope Leo XIV will undergo surgery to remove a nodule on his lung. WBUR, 11 October. Available at: Pope Leo XIV will undergo surgery to remove a nodule on his lung (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
- Boston Globe (2026) Pope Leo plays tennis religiously. The Boston Globe, 2 June. Available at: Pope Leo plays tennis religiously (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
- Deccan Chronicle (2026) Pope Leo has cancerous growth removed in lung operation. Deccan Chronicle, 14 October. Available at: Pope Leo has cancerous growth removed in lung operation (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
- Fox 32 Chicago (2026) Pope Leo XIV to have lung surgery for nodular lesion, Vatican says. Fox 32 Chicago, October. Available at: Pope Leo XIV to have lung surgery for nodular lesion, Vatican says (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
- Free Press Journal (2026) Pope Leo XIV to undergo lung surgery in Rome after nodule detection, public audiences cancelled until October 20. Free Press Journal, 13 October. Available at: Pope Leo XIV to undergo lung surgery in Rome (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
- NPR (2026) Pope Leo XIV to undergo lung surgery this week. NHPR, 11 October. Available at: Pope Leo XIV to undergo lung surgery this week (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
- Sunday Guardian (2026) Pope Leo XIV has lung adenocarcinoma. The Sunday Guardian, 14 October. Available at: Pope Leo XIV has lung adenocarcinoma (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
- Vatican News (2026a) Pope. Vatican News. Available at: Vatican News: Pope (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
- Vatican News (2026b) Pope Leo to visit Africa, Spain and Monaco. Vatican News, 25 February. Available at: Pope Leo to visit Africa, Spain and Monaco (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
- Wikipedia (2026) Pope Leo XIV. Wikipedia. Available at: Pope Leo XIV (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
How we did this
We built the health timeline ourselves by putting the Vatican's statements in date order, from the 11 October Angelus to the post-surgery bulletin, and checking each against at least two outlets where possible. We could not open the Vatican's own bulletin text, so every Vatican wording here is as quoted by Deccan Chronicle, The Sunday Guardian, AP via WBUR, NPR via NHPR and the Free Press Journal, read between 11 and 14 October 2026. Details reported by only one outlet are labelled as such. The life and career sections rely on Wikipedia's biography, the travel list on Vatican News, and the habits section on The Boston Globe. Several Indian outlets could not be fetched, and we left out anything we could not trace to a named source.
This story was produced, reviewed, edited and verified by the reporter before publication, with AI assistance where required.
Covered by 40 outlets across the spectrum: 30% left, 30% center, 40% right.
Who is covering this story
- Left-leaning (7): The Hindu, NDTV, Boston Globe, Greater Kashmir, The Federal, The New Indian Express, Scroll.in
- Center (9): Wikipedia, Free Press Journal, Vatican News, WBUR (AP), Mid-Day, Hindustan Times, Mint, Filmfare, Deccan Herald
- Right-leaning (7): Times Now, Times of India, Sunday Guardian, AsiaNews, Deccan Chronicle, Fox 32 Chicago, NHPR (NPR)
Sources
- Pope Leo Health Update: Pontiff Returns To Hospital Room After Successful Lung Surgery — Times Now (right-leaning) ·
- Pope Leo has lung cancer, lower lobe of right lung removed: Vatican — The Hindu (left-leaning) ·
- Pope Leo Has Cancerous Growth Removed In Lung Operation — NDTV (left-leaning) ·
- Pope Leo XIV undergoes successful lung surgery after cancer diagnosis — Times of India (right-leaning) ·
- Pope Leo XIV - Wikipedia — Wikipedia (center) ·
- Pope Leo XIV Has Lung Adenocarcinoma. What Is It, How Serious Is It, And What Does His Diagnosis Mean? — Sunday Guardian (right-leaning) ·
- Bishops issue formal invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit India — AsiaNews (right-leaning) ·
- Pope Leo plays tennis religiously as part of an Augustinian devotion to sports and spirituality - The Boston Globe — Boston Globe (left-leaning) ·
- Pope Leo has Cancerous Growth Removed in Lung Operation — Deccan Chronicle (right-leaning) ·
- Pope Leo XIV to have lung surgery for nodular lesion, Vatican says — Fox 32 Chicago (right-leaning) ·
- Pope Leo XIV To Undergo Lung Surgery In Rome After Nodule Detection; Public Audiences Cancelled Until October 20 — Free Press Journal (center) ·
- Pope Leo XIV to undergo lung surgery this week — NHPR (NPR) (right-leaning) ·
- News about the Pope - All the latest news - Vatican News — Vatican News (center) ·
- Pope Leo XIV to make Apostolic Journeys to Africa, Spain and Monaco - Vatican News — Vatican News (center) ·
- Pope Leo XIV will undergo surgery to remove a nodule on his lung — WBUR (AP) (center) ·
- Pope Leo XIV diagnosed with lung cancer, undergoes successful surgery — Greater Kashmir (left-leaning, AI-estimated) ·
- PM Modi wishes Pope Leo XIV full recovery after successful surgery in Rome — Mid-Day (center) ·
- Pope Leo XIV Health Latest Update: Lung Cancer Confirmed After Successful Surgery, Public Engagements Cancelled Until October 20 — Sunday Guardian (right-leaning) ·
- Pope Leo's cancer diagnosis: What you need to know about lung adenocarcinoma, early symptoms and treatments — Hindustan Times (center) ·
- Pope Leo undergoes lung cancer surgery, Vatican says tumour removed successfully — The Federal (left-leaning) ·
- Pope Leo Health Update: Vatican Says Pontiff Had ‘A Peaceful Night’ in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital Following Lung Surgery Despite Cancer Diagnosis — Sunday Guardian (right-leaning) ·
- PM Modi wishes His Holiness Pope Leo XIV a speedy recovery and continued good health — Greater Kashmir (left-leaning, AI-estimated) ·
- Pope Leo XIV’s lung cancer diagnosis: Why pulmonary adenocarcinoma can go undetected for years — Mint (center) ·
- Pope Leo is eating, celebrating Mass and walking after cancer surgery, but trip is in question — Hindustan Times (center) ·
- Pope Leo XIV Recovers After Lung Cancer Surgery, Latin America Trip in Doubt — Deccan Chronicle (right-leaning) ·
- Pope Leo XIV's cancer diagnosis raises questions about the future and the very recent past — The New Indian Express (left-leaning) ·
- As the Pope recovers from lung cancer surgery, disease risk among non-smokers is growing — Scroll.in (left-leaning) ·
- �Finally Back Home�: Nushrratt Bharuccha Shares Health Update After Hospital Discharge — Filmfare (center) ·
- Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in hospital in first photos released since surgery — Mint (center) ·
- An American pope brings American-style governance to the Vatican, even in a health crisis — The New Indian Express (left-leaning) ·
- Pope Leo Set for Hospital Discharge Saturday, 4 Days After Lung Cancer Surgery — Deccan Chronicle (right-leaning) ·
- Pope Leo XIV to be discharged from hospital after successful lung cancer surgery today — Times of India (right-leaning) ·
- Vatican says Pope Leo to be released from the hospital on October 17, four days after lung cancer surgery — The Hindu (left-leaning) ·
- Pope Leo Returns to Vatican After Successful Cancer Surgery — NDTV (left-leaning) ·
- Pope Leo Leaves Hospital Days After Surgery to Remove Cancerous Lung Nodule — Times Now (right-leaning) ·
- Pope Leo Health Update: Pontiff Discharged From Rome’s Gemelli Hospital After Cancer Surgery & Returns to Vatican Amid Health Concerns — Sunday Guardian (right-leaning) ·
- ‘With help of God & your prayers’: Pope makes first public appearance after surgery — Times of India (right-leaning) ·
- Pope Leo greets crowds at Vatican City in first event since cancer surgery — Deccan Herald (center) ·
- Pope Leo XIV’s Lung Cancer Surgery Recovery Explained: How Long Does Healing Take — Times Now (right-leaning) ·
- Pope Leo tells faithful in St. Peter's Square he will gradually resume duties after cancer surgery — The New Indian Express (left-leaning) ·