Pope Leo XIV [Getty Images]
Pope Leo XIV [Getty Images]

Pope Leo XIV was discharged from hospital Saturday (local time), five days after undergoing lung surgery.

The pope walked out of Rome's Agostino Gemelli Hospital unaided that afternoon and got into a waiting vehicle, Yonhap reported.

Before getting into the vehicle, he waved to dozens of well-wishers and paused briefly to speak with people gathered outside.

The 71-year-old pope had undergone surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung after doctors discovered a nodule suspected to be cancerous.

The nodule was confirmed to be adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer.

The Vatican said the pope is scheduled to lead the Angelus prayer at St. Peter's Square on Sunday — his first public appearance since his hospitalization.

However, it remains unclear whether he will be able to proceed with a planned South American tour covering Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, scheduled for Nov. 6-17.

Pope called Putin from hospital to seek truce

While recovering from surgery, the pope called Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday (local time) to request a truce that would allow humanitarian aid and food to reach Oleshky, according to reports.

Reuters reported that Putin agreed to cooperate with Leo XIV's request.

Oleshky, located in southern Ukraine, has been under Russian occupation since February 2022. Residents are reported to be suffering severe food shortages, with some reduced to foraging for wild weeds.

It was the second known call between the pope and Putin, following one in June last year.

The Kremlin said at the time that Putin had wished the pope a swift and full recovery.

Oleshky, in Ukraine's Kherson region, had a prewar population of about 24,000. Roughly 1,700 people are now believed to remain, including 47 children.

Russia and Ukraine have each blamed the other for blocking the flow of supplies to the area.


yul@heraldcorp.com