Diagnosed with cancer by Pope Leo XIV after successfully undergoing surgery on the right lung

Pope Leo XIV is diagnosed with lung cancer after successfully undergoing surgery on his right lung - Author, Sarah Rainsford - Author's title, Correspondent for Southern and Eastern Europe - Reports from, Gemelli Hospital, Rome - Publication date - Reading time: 4 min Pope Leo XIV was diagnosed with lung cancer after undergoing thoracic surgery this Tuesday, the Vatican reported. The pontiff, 71 years old, underwent a 90-minute operation at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, during which he had the lower lobe of his right lung removed. After examining the tissue during the operation, he was diagnosed with pulmonary adenocarcinoma, pointed out by doctors Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora. The Vatican reported that the operation "was successful and no complications arose. "After the intervention, the pope woke up normally and, after a short period of observation, returned to his room," the Holy See added in its statement. The diagnosis occurred after a nodule was detected during what the Vatican described as "routine checks". Hours before the operation, a large crowd gathered outside the hospital to welcome the Pope, and some waited for several hours. They greeted him with cheers and good wishes as he returned the greetings with his hand and a smile through the rear window of his car. Then, hospital staff received him on the stairs. "I'm sorry," one of them said with regret, to which the Pope responded with a smile and shrugged his shoulders. "We are here for you," they assured him. As a "bolt from the blue" It was Leo XIV himself who announced the news of his operation to the world on Sunday, speaking from the balcony of St. Peter's Square after delivering the traditional Angelus blessing. At that time, it was not known that it was a cancerous lesion. He said that the nodule in his lung was "contained" and that it had been detected "in a very early stage", but that the doctors had advised him to remove it. The Pope's schedule has been cleared until October 20th to give him time to recover from the procedure. The Vatican has emphasized that in general, the pontiff is considered to be in good health. Cardinal Kikuchi Tarcisio Isao of Tokyo wrote on social media that he had had an audience with Pope Leo on Monday and said that the pontiff did not feel "bad at all" physically. He pointed out that the Pope had decided to undergo surgery as soon as possible because he planned to travel to Latin America in early November, and that he was very interested in fulfilling that plan. The trip is particularly significant because it includes a visit to Peru, where the pontiff was a missionary and then a bishop for many years. The news has shocked Catholics all over the world. "Am I worried? Yes, because I certainly did not expect anything like this," stated the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin, to journalists on Tuesday. He agreed that the news was like a "bolt from the blue", but said that the cardinals were impressed by the Pope's "serenity" and trusted in his recovery. Outside the Gemelli Hospital, which has treated several popes and houses a large statue of John Paul II, some Catholics remained in the place after the pontiff's arrival. Carla came specifically to be near the Pope. "He looks calm, so we are too, although illness is always unpleasant," the parishioner told the BBC. "We will wait here and pray." "I was in St. Peter's Square when he made the announcement and I felt terrible," said Elsa, who was also present. "I was very surprised," she added, explaining that when Pope Leo was elected, she thought he was a younger pontiff in better health. "It turns out he is also vulnerable. I really hope it is something superficial, something that can be controlled, as he told us." This article was originally written in English and we used an artificial intelligence tool to translate it. A BBC journalist reviewed the text before its publication. More information on how we use AI. - Download the new BBC World Service app. Choose BBC News Mundo and receive news, documentaries, and analysis alerts, all in one place. Important: the new application is not available in the UK or the United States. - You can also follow us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, and our WhatsApp channel. - And don't forget to subscribe here to our newsletter to receive a special selection of our best content every Friday.