BBC World1 hour agoReligion2 min readUnited Kingdom

Pope pictured for first time since surgery and cancer diagnosis

Quick Look

Pope Leo XIV, 71, was pictured celebrating Mass from his hospital room at Rome's Gemelli Hospital following successful lung cancer surgery.
The Vatican released the first images of him since the procedure, showing him in a green robe behind a makeshift altar.
He thanked medical staff and called Russian President Vladimir Putin to urge a ceasefire in Oleshky, Ukraine, where food and water access has been cut off.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

Pope Leo XIV underwent lung cancer surgery at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, during which the whole lower lobe of his right lung was removed to ensure a radical procedure. The Vatican stated the surgery was successful and complication-free. This is the first public release of images showing the pontiff since the operation.

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Pope Leo XIV has been pictured celebrating Mass from hospital,in the first images of him released by the Vatican since he underwent lung surgery.

The 71-year-old pontiff was diagnosed with lung cancer after the surgery at Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday afternoon, which the Vatican said had been "successful" and proceeded without complications.

The images shared on Friday showed the Chicago-born Pope wearing a green robe while standing behind a makeshift altar on the tenth floor of the hospital.

Pope Leo "celebrated with the medical and nursing staff" and thanked workers for their service, the Vatican press office said.

Also on Friday, the Pope phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin from hospital to urge a ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky, where access to food and water has been cut off for thousands.

"The fact that he accepted the call and spoke with the Pope may, I hope, be a sign that the Pope's request will indeed be carried out," said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state.

Without mentioning a ceasefire, the Kremlin said: "The Vatican's intention to help create the conditions necessary to ensure the safety of the town's population and to organise vital supplies has been supported".

"It has been agreed to cooperate on this matter," it added.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, made a similar plea to address what he described as a "desperate" situation in Oleshky.

The Pope's doctors said on Friday tests had shown "a steady improvement in his general condition" since his surgery.

His doctors said that a chest X-ray indicated "good recovery of the operated lung".

The whole lower lobe of the Pope's right lung was removed "to ensure the procedure was radical", the Vatican said following the surgery.

"After the operation, the Pope awoke normally and returned after a brief period of observation to his room," it said earlier, before he spent a "peaceful night" at the hospital.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

Humanitarian aid coordination between the Vatican and Russian authorities will begin in Oleshky within the next week.
Likely · Within days
Pope Leo XIV will continue to participate in limited pastoral duties from hospital during his recovery.
Very likely · Within weeks

Open Questions

What is the long-term prognosis for Pope Leo XIV's health following lung resection?
Will the ceasefire appeal to Putin result in tangible humanitarian access to Oleshky?
How will the Vatican sustain its diplomatic engagement on the Oleshky situation moving forward?