Pope Leo XIV pictured post-surgery, calls Putin from hospital — SkimNews
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- Pope Leo XIV was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma after surgeons removed the entire lower lobe of his right lung at Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday, with the Vatican calling the operation "successful" and "radical."
- The Vatican released the first images of the pontiff on Friday, showing him in green vestments celebrating Mass from a makeshift altar on the hospital's tenth floor alongside medical and nursing staff.
- From his hospital bed, Pope Leo XIV phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin to urge a ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky, where thousands have lost access to food and water.
- Cardinal Pietro Parolin called Putin's acceptance of the call "a sign" the Pope's request would be carried out, while the Kremlin's readout stopped short of mentioning a ceasefire, saying only that the two sides had "agreed to co-operate" on civilian safety and supplies.
- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk made a similar plea for Oleshky, which he described as a "desperate" situation.
- The Pope's doctors reported on Friday that tests showed "steady improvement" and a chest X-ray indicated "good recovery of the operated lung," with the pontiff having first announced the procedure during Sunday prayers in St Peter's Square after doctors found a "well-contained" nodule at an early stage.
Why it matters: A sitting pope conducting high-level diplomacy from a hospital bed while recovering from cancer surgery is rare, and the Vatican publicly framed Putin's willingness to take the call as a hopeful sign — yet the Kremlin's statement notably declined to echo the word "ceasefire," suggesting civilian relief rather than a military pullback is the only commitment secured so far for the trapped residents of Oleshky.
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