Pope Leo appears in first post-surgery images as recovery continues

Summary

Images released by the Vatican show Pope Leo XIV celebrating Mass at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital as he recovers from lung cancer surgery; Deutsche Welle reports that he did so unaided and will deliver the Sunday prayer. The Irish Times and Africanews report that doctors say he is showing steady improvement. Sky News reports that the Vatican said Leo urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a truce with Ukraine, while The Irish Times says he asked Putin for a ceasefire to allow aid to an occupied Ukrainian town. CBS News reports that the Vatican also released photos of get-well notes from patients in the hospital’s pediatric oncology ward, and the BBC reports that Leo was diagnosed with lung cancer after surgery on Tuesday. This follows earlier reports that he was walking and eating after surgery to remove a cancerous lung tumour, with doctors describing his progress as normal.

Timeline

1. Sky News

   16 Oct 2026, 12:22 UTCSource ↗

   Sky News reports that the Vatican said Pope Leo spoke by phone with Vladimir Putin on Friday and urged a truce with Ukraine as he recovered from lung cancer surgery.

2. CBS News

   16 Oct 2026, 14:20 UTCSource ↗

   CBS News reports that photos showed Pope Leo celebrating Mass at the hospital and that the Vatican released photos of get-well notes sent by patients in the pediatric oncology ward.

3. BBC

   16 Oct 2026, 14:36 UTCSource ↗

   The BBC reports that Pope Leo was diagnosed with lung cancer after surgery at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday and was pictured for the first time since surgery and diagnosis.

4. Euronews

   16 Oct 2026, 14:41 UTCSource ↗

   Euronews reports that Vatican Media released the first images of Pope Leo since his hospitalisation, showing him celebrating Mass at Gemelli Hospital as he recovered from lung cancer surgery.

5. Deutsche Welle

   16 Oct 2026, 15:04 UTCSource ↗

   Deutsche Welle reports that the Vatican said Pope Leo was recovering from lung surgery, that photos showed him celebrating Mass unaided, and that he will deliver the Sunday prayer.

6. The Irish Times

   16 Oct 2026, 15:32 UTCSource ↗

   The Irish Times reports that Pope Leo asked Putin for a ceasefire to allow aid to an occupied Ukrainian town and that doctors say he is showing steady improvement after surgery.

7. Africanews

   16 Oct 2026, 15:33 UTCSource ↗

   Africanews reports that doctors say the 71-year-old pontiff is showing steady improvement after having part of his right lung removed on Tuesday.