We publish the text of the statement from the Holy See Press Office:
“Dr. Luigi Carbone and Prof. Stefano Margaritora provide the following information regarding this afternoon’s procedure:
The Holy Father underwent thoracic surgery as planned. To ensure the procedure was radical in nature, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique. Intraoperative histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected from preoperative tests.
The Holy Father was in the operating room for approximately 3 hours, while the procedure itself lasted about 90 minutes. The surgery was successful and without complications. Following the procedure, the Pope woke up properly and, after a short period of observation, returned to his room on the 10th floor.
The surgical team was led by Prof. Stefano Margaritora, assisted by Prof. Elisa Meacci, Dr. Maria Teresa Congedo, and Dr. Leonardo Petracca Ciaravella. The anesthesiology team included Prof. Massimo Antonelli, Dr. Giovanni Punzo, and Dr. Giuseppe Bello.”
Update: Further Examinations
In the coming days, postoperative examinations will be carried out, along with detailed diagnostics of the excised tumor and other tissues. Based on preoperative analyses, the doctors already knew how to proceed, and the description of the surgery as “radical” means that no part of the detected lesions was left behind, and everything possible was done to completely remove the cancer.
Regarding the hospital stay, the previously stated timeframe of “about a week” remains in effect for now.
Tomorrow, the Holy See Press Office will provide information on how Leo XIV spent the night, as well as any initial results from the postoperative tests. Meanwhile, the Pope is accompanied by the people who care for him daily in the papal apartment. Upon waking up, he was immediately conscious and oriented, and the director of the Vatican Press Office, Matteo Bruni, informed journalists that “when he returned to his room, he asked for dinner.”
