In brief
Four days following a 90‑minute operation that removed a cancerous growth from Pope Leo XIV’s right lung, the Vatican announced his discharge from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. The pontiff is scheduled to deliver the traditional Angelus prayer in St Peter’s Square. Doctors report steady improvement, yet metastasis tests remain pending. The Pope also called for a humanitarian ceasefire in the occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshkiy and has a major Latin American visit slated for early November.
The Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV will be discharged from Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Hospital this Saturday afternoon, just four days after a 90‑minute operation that removed a cancerous growth from the lower lobe of his right lung.
Following the surgery, the pontiff celebrated Mass and distributed communion to hospital staff—photos released Friday showing him in the nursing ward. Doctors report that blood tests and a chest X‑ray show steady improvement, although further scans will confirm whether the cancer has spread.
The Vatican said the pope will perform the traditional Angelus prayer and bless the crowd in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, a notable return to public duties given his previously opaque schedule.
This week, the pope also spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the first call between the two leaders since June 2025, urging dialogue and peace amid Russia’s intensified bombing campaign in Ukraine. The Pope added a call for a humanitarian ceasefire in the occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshkiy, demanding safe evacuation and urgent delivery of food and medicine.
The pope’s itinerary has been cleared until 20 October, making his early return a surprise to clerics and laypeople worldwide. He still has a planned trip to Latin America for early November, including a visit to Peru where he served as a missionary, though his fitness for travel remains uncertain.
In the metaverse, attendees will have the chance to experience the hospital’s interior, join a live‑streamed Angelus session, and interact with virtual representations of the event’s key moments, blending in‑person devotion with digital participation.
