Pope Leo seen celebrating Mass in hospital following lung cancer surgery

Pope Leo XIV has been seen for the first time following his recent operation, appearing in photographs released by the Vatican as he led a religious service from his hospital room in Rome.

The Vatican shared the images on Friday showing the 71-year-old pontiff standing at an improvised altar located on the tenth floor of the Gemelli Hospital. Dressed in green vestments, he conducted Mass alongside members of the medical and nursing teams who have been caring for him, expressing his gratitude for their work.

Medical staff reported on Friday that examinations revealed steady progress in the Pope's overall recovery. According to his physicians, a follow-up chest X-ray showed positive healing in the affected lung. The Chicago-born leader of the Catholic Church is anticipated to stay at the medical facility for approximately a week while he regains his strength.

The surgical procedure took place on Tuesday afternoon, during which surgeons extracted the entire lower lobe of his right lung to carry out a comprehensive treatment. The Vatican characterized the operation as successful and free of complications, adding that the pontiff woke up without issue and experienced an untroubled initial night of rest.

Subsequent medical evaluations confirmed that an isolated nodule detected earlier was cancerous, leading to a formal diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma. The Vatican noted that this outcome aligned with suspicions raised during pre-operative screenings, though officials emphasized that the Pope had displayed no outward symptoms of sickness or respiratory infections prior to the intervention.

The pontiff had initially revealed the planned medical intervention during his Sunday address in St. Peter's Square, informing the public that physicians had discovered an early-stage nodule and urged its prompt surgical excision.