Pope Leo XIV pictured at hospital Mass after cancer surgery

Pope Leo XIV has appeared in the first Vatican-released images since undergoing lung surgery and receiving a cancer diagnosis, BBC News reported. The photographs issued on Friday, October 16, show the 71-year-old pontiff celebrating Mass behind a temporary altar on the tenth floor of Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. Wearing green vestments, he joined medical and nursing staff for the service and thanked them for their care, according to the Vatican press office.

Doctors said Friday’s tests showed his overall condition improving, with a chest X-ray indicating that the operated lung was recovering well. Surgeons removed the entire lower lobe of his right lung on Tuesday afternoon; the Vatican described the procedure as successful and said there had been no complications. Examination of the removed nodule confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, consistent with suspicions raised by tests before surgery. The Chicago-born Pope had announced the planned operation during his Sunday prayers in St Peter’s Square, saying doctors had identified a contained nodule at an early stage and recommended removal. The Vatican said he had displayed no symptoms of illness or infection beforehand. He is expected to stay in hospital for about a week while recovering.

The Pope also spoke by telephone on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging a ceasefire in Russian-occupied Oleshky, Ukraine, where thousands have been cut off from food and water. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin expressed hope that Putin’s willingness to take the call would translate into action. The Kremlin said it supported Vatican efforts to secure residents’ safety and arrange essential supplies, but its statement did not mention a ceasefire. UN human rights chief Volker Turk separately appealed for action over the humanitarian situation. The reported statements do not establish that a ceasefire has been agreed.