Medicine & healthcare

Pope Leo XIV Resumes Work Following Surgery

Should Pope Leo continue his vigorous ministry as a model of courage or scale back his schedule to protect his long-term health?

8 hours ago·Updated 1 hour ago

Pope Leo XIV Resumes Work Following Surgery

Story

Above: Pope Leo XIV is seen from the Vatican balcony, in Vatican City, on May 8, 2025. Image credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

The Facts

Pope Leo XIV met Thursday with Archbishop Paolo Rudelli, the Vatican chief of staff, and resumed working from Gemelli hospital, where doctors said a chest X-ray showed "good recovery of the [Pope's] operated lung" following surgery to remove a cancerous nodule .
The Washington Post
New York Post
The roughly 90-minute operation Tuesday removed the lower lobe of the 71-year-old pontiff's right lung using a video-assisted technique and confirmed adenocarcinoma. President Donald Trump said of the procedure that he wanted the pope to "get better fast."
HuffPost
NBC
Daily Mail
Eric Daugherty on X
Leo's postoperative tests remained within normal levels and his physiotherapy session on Thursday involved full mobility exercises, with the pope handling daily activities independently. He celebrated Mass for a second day in a chapel near his hospital room.
Los Angeles Times
Vatican News
Leo is set to leave Gemelli hospital on Sunday, a week after he was admitted, and his audiences have been canceled through that date. The Vatican has not said whether his planned Nov. 6-17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru will proceed.
CBS News
Daily Mail
In his first message after the operation, Leo thanked Catholics on Wednesday for their prayers. He had disclosed the planned surgery during his Sunday blessing, saying the nodule was found "at a very early stage" and was well localized.
Newsweek
CNN
EWTN News

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Pope Leo clearly has the grit to keep leading. A cancer diagnosis need not sideline a vigorous pontificate when faith, discipline and physical strength support recovery. Continued ministry is the sound expectation, with steady leadership offering a powerful model of courage under pressure.

Vatican News

James Martin, SJ on X

EWTN News

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on X

Narrative B

Optimism cannot substitute for medical caution. Major lung surgery and an unresolved cancer outlook make a punishing international schedule a needless gamble, regardless of early medical progress. Responsible leadership means protecting long-term capacity rather than proving toughness through a rushed return.