Pope Leo spends a peaceful night in the hospital after cancer surgery

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV spent a calm night in the hospital after successful surgery that saw part of his right lung removed and a confirmed cancer diagnosis, the Vatican said early Wednesday. It said more information would follow later in the day. The 71-year-old American pontiff was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, a type of non-small cell lung cancer that accounts for 80% of all cases, according to the American Lung Association. The 90-minute operation to remove a malignant lung nodule was completed “successfully, on schedule and as planned,” the Vatican said Tuesday. Leo was in the operating theater for nearly three hours, it said. The Vatican did not offer details on planned treatment moving forward or whether the cancer might have spread. The initial lump was detected during a routine check, the Vatican has said. The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics took the rare step of revealing the health issue — the first of his papacy — during his Sunday noon prayer. Leo waved to crowds outside Rome’s Gemelli hospital as he entered Tuesday. The procedure was led by Dr. Stefano Margaritora, Gemelli’s chief thoracic surgeon, with medical staff reciting the rosary prayer in the hospital chapel as the operation began. The surgery saw the lower lobe of the pope’s right lung removed using a “video-assisted technique,” according to the Vatican. Following his surgery, the pontiff “woke up normally and, after a brief period of observation, returned to his room on the tenth floor,” the Vatican said. The room is next to the usual papal apartment, complete with private chapel, which is currently undergoing renovations. This type of cancer affects both smokers and nonsmokers, although Leo is not known to ever have been a smoker. The cancer diagnosis could complicate his busy schedule. Just weeks earlier, hundreds of thousands of people packed the streets of Paris for an outdoor mass on a visit that saw Leo warn about the risks of artificial intelligence. He was planning to take a historic two-week visit to South America next month, although it is unclear if that will still go ahead. Messages of support and sympathy flowed in after the news. Dr. Fernando Daniels III, a 67-year-old physician from Maryland was among many praying for Leo’s swift recovery in the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square. “I’ve seen miracles in medicine. I’ve seen people told with terminal illnesses they wouldn’t live and they did,” he told NBC News. “Prayers of all should heal him,” said Daniels, who was traveling as part of a group. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he and his wife, Jeanette Rubio, were praying for the pope, who was born in Chicago. “May the Lord give him strength and the Holy Spirit guide the medical professionals taking care of the Holy Father,” Rubio said on X. “We thank God that the surgery on Pope Leo was, by all accounts, successful, and that he continues his recovery and recuperation,” New York City’s Archbishop Ronald Hicks said in a statement. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whose role is largely ceremonial, wished Leo a speedy and full recovery, the German Catholic news agency KNA reported. “The pope‘s voice on the current issues and challenges of our time is of particular importance and of value to many people worldwide, including in Germany, beyond denominational boundaries,” Steinmeier was quoted as saying. Claudio Lavanga reported from Vatican City, and Mithil Aggarwal reported from Hong Kong.