Pope discharged from hospital days after lung cancer surgery — SkimNews
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- Pope Leo XIV was discharged from Rome's Gemelli Hospital, four days after a 90-minute operation removed the lower lobe of his right lung to excise a cancerous growth, walking unaided to his car and greeting well-wishers
- His doctors reported that blood tests and a chest X-ray showed 'steady improvement,' though results of further tests to check whether the cancer has spread have not yet been announced
- The Vatican confirmed the 71-year-old Pope will deliver the traditional Angelus prayer and blessing from St Peter's Square on Sunday, despite his entire schedule being cleared until 20 October
- The Pope spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday — their first call since June 2025 — urging 'dialogue and peace' as Russia's invasion of Ukraine intensifies with mounting civilian casualties
- The Vatican said the Pope specifically called for a humanitarian ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshkiy to enable evacuations and delivery of food and medicine
- Those close to the Pope said he was eager not to delay a planned early-November trip to Latin America, including a visit to Peru where he previously served as a missionary
Why it matters: The Pope's return to public duties just four days after removal of a lung lobe signals a faster-than-expected recovery, though pending cancer-spread test results leave his medium-term prognosis uncertain. His simultaneous outreach to Putin — urging a humanitarian ceasefire in occupied Oleshkiy while Russia intensifies bombardment — shows the Vatican is reinserting itself into Ukraine diplomacy at the moment of the Pope's greatest personal vulnerability.
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