Pope Leo XIV to leave hospital after lung surgery

Pope Leo XIV will be discharged from Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Saturday following surgery on his right lung, the Vatican said.

The Holy See Press Office said the pontiff would leave the hospital in the early afternoon and return to the Vatican after five days of hospitalization, Vatican News reported.

Doctors Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora said blood tests and a chest X-ray conducted Saturday morning confirmed that his clinical condition allowed him to leave the hospital.

"Tomorrow, he will lead the Angelus prayer from the window of the papal apartment," the press office said.

Before returning to the Vatican, the pope will celebrate Mass in a room designated for worship on the hospital's 10th floor, according to the statement.

Leo XIV announced on Oct. 11 that doctors had detected a mass in his lung and recommended surgery to remove the nodule.

The Vatican said the 90-minute operation on Oct. 13 was successful. Surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung, with tissue analysis confirming lung adenocarcinoma.

His scheduled engagements through Oct. 20 had been canceled to allow for recovery.