January 1, Pope Leo XIV Returns to Vatican After Successful Cancer Surgery

Wyatt’s Take

• Pope Leo XIV is recovering well and heading home after doctors removed a cancerous growth from his lung.
• While still in the hospital, the pope called Vladimir Putin and asked for a ceasefire so food and medicine can reach civilians in a war-torn Ukrainian city.
• The pontiff will lead prayers from the Vatican tomorrow, showing faith and duty remain strong even after serious surgery.

Pope Leo XIV will leave Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Saturday after surgeons removed a cancerous node from his right lung.

Doctors gave him the all-clear following blood tests and a chest X-ray.

“Following the doctors’ assessment this morning, Pope Leo XIV will be discharged today from Gemelli Hospital, where he was hospitalized for surgery on his right lung,” the Holy See stated.

“He will leave the hospital in the early afternoon and return to the Vatican. Tomorrow, he will lead the Angelus prayer from the window of the papal apartment,” the statement added.

The pope will celebrate Mass on the tenth floor of the hospital before heading back to the Vatican.

“The Pope was in the operating room approximately three hours, while the operation itself lasted about 90 minutes. The doctors said it was successful and there were no complications,” the Holy See press office reported.

“Pope Leo awoke normally after surgery and, following a brief period of observation, returned to his room on the hospital’s 10th floor,” Vatican News added.

While recovering, Pope Leo phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged him to allow a ceasefire in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky.

“During the conversation, the Holy Father expressed his deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky, in the Kherson region, and called for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of food and medical assistance and the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population,” a Vatican statement read.

“Finally, the Holy Father reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to promoting dialogue and peace,” the statement added.

President Trump sent his best wishes for a quick recovery and spoke highly of the pope’s brother.

Wyatt Matters

Faith, family, and standing up for innocent people caught in war remain the core values that built this country and the wider Western world.