Krebsdiagnose: Kirche wieder in Sorge - Papst hat Lungenkrebs

Less than a year after the passing of Pope Francis, the Catholic Church finds itself worried once again about its leader: Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer. The 71-year-old underwent a lengthy operation at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, where a malignant tumor was removed from his right lung. The head of the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide is expected to remain in the hospital for the next week.

It remains unclear whether the cancer has returned or further treatment is necessary. Vatican sources reported that the former American citizen, whose birth name is Robert Francis Prevost, slept peacefully after the surgery. He is currently housed on the tenth floor of the Gemelli Clinic in the northwest of the Italian capital, where both his predecessor, Pope Francis, and his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, were also treated just before their respective deaths in April of last year.

The Argentine Pope had a portion of his lung removed years ago, similar to the situation he now faces. Images from the Gemelli Hospital evoked memories for many of the spring of 2025, when the frail Pope Francis battled pneumonia for weeks. Once again, crowds gathered outside the clinic for prayers. The Catholic Church had hoped that with Leo, a relatively young Pope at 71 who also regularly exercises, there would be no more talk of illnesses for the foreseeable future.

However, after a 90-minute operation, the Pontiff is to remain in the clinic for another week. The medical team, led by Italian doctors Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora, expressed satisfaction with the success of the surgery, stating that everything went "without complications." However, it remains uncertain whether the cancer has been eradicated or further treatment is required.

Further details about Leo's prognosis are scarce, with Vatican officials withholding information about the size of the tumor, the presence of additional nodules, or whether nearby lymph nodes have been affected.