Pope Leo XIV has been cleared to leave Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Saturday following surgery on his right lung, with doctors confirming his condition allows continued recovery outside the hospital.

The 71‑year‑old pontiff will return to the Vatican on Saturday afternoon, five days after his admission for the operation.

According to the Holy See Press Office, he is scheduled to lead the Angelus prayer from the papal apartment window on Sunday.

The press office said the Pope will celebrate Mass in a dedicated room on the hospital’s 10th floor before his departure, following doctors’ assessment that morning.

Doctors Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora confirmed that morning blood tests and a chest X‑ray showed the Pope was fit to leave the hospital.

The Vatican released the first images of the Pope since surgery on Friday, showing him standing at an altar and celebrating Mass at Gemelli Hospital.

He was admitted on October 13 for removal of a small, localized nodule in his right lung, a procedure he announced during the Angelus on October 11 after a growth was detected in recent examinations.

The 90‑minute operation was completed without complications, and tissue analysis confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, a form of lung cancer.

The Vatican has not disclosed the tumour’s stage or whether it has spread, but further examination of the removed tissue will guide the next steps in his treatment.