Pope Leo XIV is set to leave hospital on Saturday afternoon, four days after undergoing surgery for lung cancer, with doctors declaring him fit for discharge following blood tests, a chest X-ray and an assessment of his condition, the Vatican said.The 71-year-old pontiff will deliver the traditional noon blessing from a window overlooking St Peter’s Square on Sunday, his first public engagement since being admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.Leo underwent surgery on Tuesday to remove the lower lobe of his right lung after doctors detected a suspected cancerous nodule. The procedure confirmed he had adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer.In a statement, his personal physician and surgeon said the pope was “deemed fit for discharge from the hospital” based on Saturday morning’s test results and an assessment of his clinical condition.Since the operation, Leo has shown signs of a steady recovery. He held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, met senior aides and celebrated Mass in a hospital chapel. The Vatican on Friday released the first images of the pope since the surgery, showing him standing at an altar in green vestments.During the Mass, Leo distributed Communion to medical personnel and Vatican gendarmes. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pope also thanked hospital staff for “the work they do every day taking care of the sick in their fragility, and in a particular way what they had done for him”.Doctors are still awaiting test results to establish the cancer’s precise molecular and genetic characteristics, whether it has spread beyond the removed lung lobe and whether further treatment will be needed.Leo is scheduled to travel to Latin America from November 6 to 17. The trip would involve a dozen flights and two helicopter journeys, giving him around three weeks to recover after leaving hospital. The Vatican has published the names of journalists accredited to accompany him, indicating that preparations for the visit are continuing.
