Pope Leo XIV will be discharged from Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Saturday to return to the Vatican, the Holy See announced. The pontiff is leaving the hospital after surgeons removed a cancerous node from his right lung.
According to a statement from the Holy See, doctors assessed the pope's condition earlier in the day and cleared him to leave. He is scheduled to depart the hospital in the early afternoon. On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV plans to lead the Angelus prayer from the window of the papal apartment.
Vatican News reported that the pope underwent blood tests and a chest X-ray on Saturday. Both tests confirmed he is well enough to return to the Vatican. Before leaving Gemelli Hospital, the pope will celebrate mass in a room on the 10th floor, according to the Holy See press office.
The surgery took place on Tuesday. Doctors performed thoracic surgery to remove the node, a procedure that lasted approximately three hours in total, with the operation itself taking about 90 minutes. The Holy See press office stated that the surgery was successful and there were no complications. Following the procedure, doctors diagnosed Pope Leo XIV with lung adenocarcinoma, a specific form of lung cancer.
Vatican News noted that the pope awoke normally after the surgery. After a brief period of observation, he returned to his room on the hospital's 10th floor.
While recovering in the hospital, Pope Leo XIV contacted Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Vatican stated that during their conversation, the pope expressed deep concern over the humanitarian situation in Oleshky, a city in Ukraine's Kherson region. He called for a ceasefire to allow for the delivery of food and medical assistance and to enable the voluntary and safe evacuation of civilians.
The Vatican statement added that the pope reaffirmed the Holy See's commitment to promoting dialogue and peace. Russia has controlled Oleshky since May and has not allowed humanitarian food deliveries into the city. Previous reporting by Fox News Digital indicated that Oleshky lacks electricity, gas, and running water, and that its hospital is barely functional.
Fox News Digital contacted the Holy See for further comment on the pope's discharge and recovery.