From hospital, Pope Leo pushes Putin for ceasefire in contested Ukraine city

Pope Leo spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone on Friday, urging him to establish a ceasefire in a Russian-occupied city in southern Ukraine, as he recuperated in a hospital following lung cancer surgery. The Vatican reported that Pope Leo expressed deep concern about the severe humanitarian situation in Oleshky, located in the Kherson region, and requested that the city be granted a ceasefire to permit the delivery of food, medical assistance, and the voluntary, safe evacuation of civilians.

This unexpected communication from the Vatican indicated that the recovering pope remained actively engaged, despite undergoing surgery on Tuesday to remove a cancerous tumour from his right lung. The city of Oleshky is grappling with a worsening humanitarian crisis, characterized by food and medication shortages, as it finds itself in the crossfire between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, denounced the "desperate" conditions in the city, urging Russia to facilitate civilian evacuations. In a statement, the Kremlin noted that the two leaders discussed the responsibility of the Kyiv regime for the challenging humanitarian situation in Oleshky and emphasized the significance of Russian-Vatican cooperation in promoting shared spiritual and moral values.

Earlier that day, Pope Leo celebrated mass on the top floor of Rome's Gemelli hospital, as depicted in the initial photographs released by the Vatican following his surgery. The 71-year-old Chicago-born pontiff appeared relaxed and in good health, standing with his private secretary, Peruvian priest Edgard Rimaycuna, in the two images.

The pope is scheduled to deliver the Angelus prayer on Sunday, though a Vatican source declined to specify whether it would be from the hospital or the Vatican. The Angelus prayer is typically offered by the pope weekly from the window of the Apostolic Palace overlooking St Peter’s Square to a gathering of faithful below. Medical professionals stated that the pope's recovery after surgery was progressing smoothly, with a chest X-ray on Thursday revealing "good recovery of the operated lung."

On Friday, further tests indicated a "steady improvement in his general condition." The pope is now managing his daily activities independently, and test results to ascertain whether the cancer has spread are still pending. The Vatican has not disclosed an estimated discharge date from the hospital, adhering to the doctor's original assertion that recovery would take approximately a week.