Brief

Pope Leo XIV resumes limited duties after lung surgery

The pontiff celebrated Mass, read documents and met the undersecretary of state as he continues recovery.

By Felo News Desk · Published Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:37:14 GMT

Pope Leo XIV resumed limited papal duties on Thursday, Oct. 15, according to a Vatican statement.

What happened

After having a portion of his right lung removed earlier in the week, the 71‑year‑old pontiff celebrated Mass around noon and began "a little bit of work activity," which included reading Vatican documents. He also met with Archbishop Paolo Rudelli, the Vatican undersecretary of state.

What the reports add

CBS News reported that the pope is scheduled to leave Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Oct. 20, a week after his admission. The outlet also noted that the Vatican spokesperson said Leo hopes to lead the Angelus prayer from the hospital on Sunday, though a final decision had not been made.

What was said

The Vatican spokesperson told CBS News, "He celebrated Mass around noon and began a little bit of work activity, including reading documents." Dr. Luigi Carbone, the pope’s personal physician, and thoracic surgeon Dr. Stefano Margaritora said a chest X‑ray showed "good recovery of the operated lung" and that the post‑operative recovery was progressing as expected.

How it came about

Earlier this month, the Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV would undergo lung surgery to remove an early‑stage nodule (Felo News, Oct. 11). The operation was performed at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, and the pope was diagnosed with lung cancer (Felo News, Oct. 15). The current return to duties follows those initial reports and the pope’s brief hospitalization.

Key facts

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass and read documents on Oct. 15 (cbsnews.com)
He met with Archbishop Paolo Rudelli, Vatican undersecretary of state (cbsnews.com)
Doctors reported good recovery of the operated lung on chest X‑ray (cbsnews.com)
He is slated to leave Gemelli Hospital on Oct. 20 (cbsnews.com)