Three days after surgeons removed part of his right lung, Pope Leo XIV was back at an altar. The Vatican released the first images of him since the operation on Friday, showing the 71-year-old pontiff celebrating Mass in a makeshift chapel at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, with no congregation but the people caring for him.

The pictures answer one question about his recovery. They also sharpen another, which is how much the first major health challenge of this papacy will change what comes next.

What Happened in the Operating Room

Leo told the faithful himself. At the Sunday noon prayer on October 11, he said doctors had found a nodule in his lung and recommended an operation. He described it as being in “a very initial phase” and “well localized.” The Vatican later said it was found during routine medical examinations.

He was admitted to Gemelli on October 13. Surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung using a minimally invasive, camera-guided technique. He spent about three hours in the operating room, and the surgery itself took roughly 90 minutes.

Tissue examined during the procedure confirmed what preoperative tests had suggested: lung adenocarcinoma. The Vatican’s medical release, signed by Dr. Luigi Carbone and Prof. Stefano Margaritora, was brief. In its words, “The surgery was successful, and there were no complications.”

The Vatican press office added that describing the removal as “radical” meant doctors took out all suspect tissue. It also said that chemotherapy and other treatments were not under discussion while further test results were pending.

The language shifted from “nodule” to “cancer” within days. That reflects the sequence of events rather than any change in the story. The diagnosis was confirmed during the operation itself.

Understanding the Diagnosis

Adenocarcinoma is the most common form of non-small cell lung cancer, accounting for about 40 percent of cases according to the National Cancer Institute, as cited by ABC News. It typically forms in the outer part of the lungs and tends to grow relatively slowly. Readers who want to understand how doctors approach this disease can find the clinical framework in the National Cancer Institute’s treatment guide for non-small cell lung cancer.

What the public does not know is as important as what it does. The Vatican has not disclosed the cancer’s stage, whether lymph nodes were involved, or its molecular profile. There are no survival or recurrence figures for this case, and any commentary offering them is speculation.

A Steady Recovery, Reported Daily

The hospital has issued regular bulletins, and they have followed a consistent pattern. On October 14, doctors reported normal blood tests and a normal chest X-ray. They said Leo was doing respiratory physiotherapy, walking around his room and eating a regular diet.

The next day’s update said his tests remained normal and the operated lung was recovering well. By Friday, the medical team told reporters, as relayed by the Associated Press, that he could carry out “normal daily activities completely on his own.”

The Mass came the same day. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pope presided alone, gave Communion to medical staff and Vatican gendarmes, and used his homily to thank the hospital workers who had treated him.

The Questions Still Open

Doctors are still waiting on several results. They want to know the cancer’s molecular and genetic makeup, whether it spread beyond the removed lobe, and whether he will need any further treatment. Those answers will shape his medical path far more than the surgery’s smooth outcome can.

Bruni confirmed that Leo intends to lead the Sunday Angelus on October 18, though it remains unclear whether he will do so from the hospital or from the Vatican. His audiences are canceled through Tuesday, October 20. When he goes home is a decision left to his doctors, who had initially estimated a stay of about a week.

The Trip That Hangs Over Everything

The largest open question is logistical and diplomatic. Leo is scheduled to travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17, a journey that would begin just 24 days after his operation.

The signals have been mixed. On October 14, Bruni said no changes to the trip had been announced, and the spokesman said the pope “wants to go.” This week the Vatican also published the list of journalists accredited to cover the journey. The AP described that as a sign the trip is moving forward organizationally, while noting that plans can change at any time.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, has been more cautious. On October 15, he told reporters, “We can’t make any type of predictions.” (Parolin’s remarks were translated from Italian, and outlets render the wording slightly differently.) He also suggested the pope might have to “adjust” how he carries out his duties if needed. Asked on Friday what he meant, he said it was “with respect to this next trip.”

Read together, those remarks do not amount to a cancellation. They do suggest the Vatican is leaving itself room.

Why This Story Reaches Beyond Rome

Leo leads a Catholic Church of roughly 1.4 billion people. He was elected the 267th pontiff in May 2025 and is the first American to hold the office. His illness is the first serious medical test of his time in the role.

The Vatican’s handling of it has also stood out. It named the diagnosis, identified the surgeons and gave the length of the operation, a level of detail that Religion News Service described as new for papal health communication.

The story also has a plain public-health lesson. A small nodule, found during routine checks and removed while still localized, is the kind of early catch that clinicians hope for.

What to Watch Next

The coming days will carry more weight than the surgery itself did. Sunday’s Angelus will show how much strength the pope has and where he wants to be seen. The pending pathology results will determine whether the Vatican’s careful language about further treatment holds.

Then there is the calendar. If the November trip is still on the schedule once those results arrive, it will say as much about the medical picture as any bulletin.