Pope Leo resumes work in hospital while recovering from surgery

What the report says

Pope Leo XIV has resumed some work from his hospital room while recovering from lung surgery, according to the Vatican and his medical team, as reported by Al Jazeera on 15 October 2026. The 71-year-old pontiff is being treated at Gemelli hospital in Rome after an operation to remove a cancerous growth from his right lung.

The Vatican said Leo met Archbishop Paolo Rudelli, the Holy See’s chief of staff, suggesting he remains engaged in routine church business during recovery. Doctors said his post-operative checks were within normal limits, his breathing recovery was progressing as expected, and he was carrying out mobility exercises with physiotherapy. A chest X-ray showed the operated lung was healing well, the medical update said.

The surgery confirmed adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer. Doctors are still waiting for additional test results to determine the cancer’s exact characteristics and whether more treatment will be needed. The Vatican said Leo was also continuing to celebrate Mass in a chapel near his hospital room.

The article notes that it is still unclear whether the pope’s planned trip to South America next month will proceed as scheduled. More generally, such scheduling questions are often revisited during a papal recovery, but the report did not announce any final change. Leo is expected to remain in hospital at least until next Tuesday.