Pope Leo XIV Seen After Cancer Surgery, Calls Putin — SkimNews
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- Pope Leo XIV was pictured celebrating Mass from Rome's Gemelli Hospital — the first images released since his surgery — wearing green vestments behind a makeshift altar on the tenth floor alongside medical and nursing staff
- The Vatican confirmed the 71-year-old, Chicago-born pontiff was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma after the entire lower lobe of his right lung was removed 'to ensure the procedure was radical'
- Doctors reported 'steady improvement' and said a chest X-ray indicated 'good recovery of the operated lung,' with the Vatican stressing the Pope had shown no symptoms prior to the procedure
- Pope Leo XIV phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin from his hospital room to press for a ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky, where access to food and water has been cut off for thousands
- Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, said Putin accepting the call may be 'a sign that the Pope's request will indeed be carried out,' while the Kremlin only confirmed cooperation on safety and vital supplies without mentioning a ceasefire
- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk made a similar plea, describing the situation in Oleshky as 'desperate'
Why it matters: The Pope's lung cancer diagnosis and full right-lung lobe removal leave his recovery timeline uncertain. His call to Putin — which Putin accepted — shows the pontiff pursuing diplomacy from his hospital bed, yet the Kremlin's silence on a ceasefire reveals the gap between Vatican requests and Moscow's commitments on Oleshky.
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