Pope Leo leaves hospital for Vatican four days after lung cancer surgery

Pope Leo XIV has left hospital in Rome to return to the Vatican following surgery for lung cancer four days ago.

The 71-year-old walked unaided to his waiting car, stopping to speak to well-wishers outside Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Saturday afternoon.

His doctors had earlier said he was well enough to return home after they carried out the latest blood tests and chest imaging.

The pope, who had an operation on Tuesday to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, will hold his first public engagement since surgery on Sunday when he leads weekly prayers with pilgrims in St. Peter's Square.

Pope Leo has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer.

The diagnosis was cause for shock after the pope was elected only in May 2025, raising questions about the future of his papacy as he deals with the illness.

The pope's doctors have said his surgery was completed successfully, without complications.

They have not yet disclosed the size of the tumour or whether the disease had spread to nearby lymph nodes, both key factors in determining prognosis.