Pope Leo XIV leaves Gemelli Hospital, returns to Vatican

Pope Leo XIV left the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital shortly after 3:30 p.m. local time on Saturday to return to the Vatican.

Tweet The 71-year-old pope had been admitted last Tuesday and underwent surgery just hours later to remove the lower lobe of his right lung. The procedure, which lasted about an hour and a half, was performed using a video-assisted technique, while an intraoperative histological examination confirmed a diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

Pope Leo XIV concludes his stay at the Gemelli Hospital on Oct. 17, 2026. | Credit Vatican Media

His discharge from the hospital was announced by the pontiff’s attending physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and the surgeon who performed the operation, Professor Stefano Margaritora.

As he left, the pope greeted the faithful gathered along the barriers. Daniele Franco, chairman of the board of the Gemelli University Hospital Foundation, was also there to welcome the pontiff upon his exit.

Before getting into the car, Leo greeted several members of the faithful who presented him with gifts. The pope did not stay in the papal suite on the hospitalʼs 10th floor, as it was undergoing renovation, but rather in…