Pope Leo XIV spent a peaceful night in Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Wednesday after doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung and confirmed he has cancer, the Vatican said. He is 71 years old. A malignant nodule. His room sits on the tenth floor, beside a papal apartment Gemelli keeps ready, with its own private chapel.
That detail says plenty. Most people with lung cancer don’t get a dedicated suite for their popes-in-waiting. They get a waiting room, a referral and a bill.
Who Has the Power
The Vatican press office controls the information, and it’s releasing it in installments. A medical bulletin late Tuesday confirmed lung adenocarcinoma. The Vatican said it would provide more information “later in the day” Wednesday. It offered no details on planned treatment or whether the cancer has spread. The bulletin said nothing about what comes next. Doctors, the Vatican said, weren’t discussing chemotherapy or other therapies while they waited for further test results.
Dr. Stefano Margaritora, Gemelli’s chief thoracic surgeon, led the operation. As it began, medical staff recited the rosary in the hospital chapel. The surgery lasted about 90 minutes; Leo spent roughly three hours in the operating room. The Vatican called it successful, with no complications.
The pope revealed his condition during a Sunday noon prayer, the first publicly disclosed major health problem of his 17-month papacy. On Monday, the Vatican canceled all his audiences through Oct. 20. He walked into Gemelli through the main entrance on Tuesday and waved to dozens of well-wishers.
What They’re Calling “Prognosis”
Here’s what an ordinary patient hears: wait for the stage. Dr. Stephen Liu, a lung cancer expert at Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center who isn’t involved in the pope’s care, put it plainly. “While we know the diagnosis we now need to know the stage,” he said. “We now need to know how big it is, how many spots in the lung are involved. Is it just one nodule, or more than one, and the lymph nodes, are they cancerous?”
Adenocarcinoma accounts for 80% of non-small cell lung cancers, according to the American Lung Association. Liu called it the most common type, with the most favorable prognosis. If it has spread, options include chemotherapy, chemotherapy plus immunotherapy, or targeted therapy in pill form. Before the operation, oncologists said an early-stage removal would mean an “excellent” prognosis.
None of that is guaranteed. For now, the Vatican admits the implications for his long-term health remain unclear.
The Itinerary Doesn’t Care
Then there’s the schedule. The pope’s planned Nov. 6-17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru would cover just over 31,000 kilometers (19,000 miles), across a dozen flights and two helicopter rides, with a significant altitude change in Peru. Oncologists often advise patients not to fly for three weeks after surgery. Depending on recovery, that leaves the pope just the interval he’d need.
Liu was blunt: “If it is stage 1, he can complete these trips. If more treatment is needed, I would likely advise against the trips.”
The Chorus
Well-wishers arrived on cue. Dr. Fernando Daniels III, a 67-year-old physician from Maryland, prayed in St. Peter’s Square. “I’ve seen miracles in medicine,” he told NBC News. “Prayers of all should heal him.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X: “May the Lord give him strength and the Holy Spirit guide the medical professionals taking care of the Holy Father.” New York City’s Archbishop Ronald Hicks thanked God that the surgery was “by all accounts, successful.” German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whose role is largely ceremonial, said the pope’s voice “is of particular importance and of value to many people worldwide.”
One man, one hospital floor, a statement from the state’s top diplomat. Meanwhile, the leader of 1.4 billion Catholics gets a dedicated apartment, a private chapel, a surgical team praying at the start of the cut, and a press office managing every word about his body.