Pope Leo discharged from hospital on Saturday, four days after surgery on his right lung

Updated on: October 17, 2026 / 9:57 AM EDT / CBS News

Pope Leo XIV was released from Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Saturday, four days after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung.

The pope exited via the hospital's main entrance. A large crowd waiting outside the hospital cheered for him.

He shook hands with several people, then stopped to talk with a young woman who appeared to be wearing a bandage on her right arm and was holding a doll in the image of Pope Leo.

The Pope was smiling. Once in the car, he waved to the crowd. His motorcade returned to Vatican City at 3:43 p.m. local time.

The 71-year-old pope had a portion of his right lung removed and received a diagnosis of lung cancer earlier this week. No information about his prognosis has been publicly shared.

Leo was initially expected to remain hospitalized until Oct. 20 but on Thursday he resumed some work activity, and doctors said Friday that tests confirmed "steady improvement in his recovery." On Saturday morning, the Vatican announced he would leave later in the afternoon.

His personal physician and surgeon said in a separate statement that Leo…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/