Canada

Ottawa, October 14, 2026. The Canadian press, from the Globe and Mail to CBC via the National Post, reports on Pope Leo XIV's operation, focusing on the medical aspect: what is known about the diagnosis and what is still unknown.

On Tuesday, October 13, the 71-year-old pontiff underwent thoracic surgery at Rome's Gemelli Hospital. According to the Vatican's bulletin, as reported by Global News and the Toronto Sun, "to ensure a radical resection," the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique. The histological examination performed during the procedure "confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma." The pope spent about three hours in the operating room, including 90 minutes of surgery, "successfully and without complications," the Holy See specified. The chief surgeon at Gemelli, Stefano Margaritora, led the team.

The newspapers widely quote specialists. Dr. Stephen Liu, from Georgetown's Lombardi Cancer Center, cited by the Globe and Mail and Global News, considers adenocarcinoma "the most common type, with the most favorable prognosis," but notes that the stage now needs to be determined: the size of the lesion, the number of foci, and any potential lymph node involvement. According to him, if the cancer has spread, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy could be considered. The Toronto Sun mentions an "excellent" prognosis according to oncologists, as the tumor was removed early. The Vatican has announced no treatment and is awaiting the results of further tests.

CBC and the National Post also highlight the unusual transparency of the American pope, the first pontiff from the United States: it was he who revealed the nodule, "at a very early stage," on Sunday at the Angelus, whereas the Vatican has historically been very discreet about the health of popes. CBC reports that Japanese Cardinal Kikuchi Tsutomu, who saw him on Monday, claims that Leo XIV wanted to undergo surgery without delay so as not to modify his trip to Latin America, scheduled for next month. The National Post notes that the operation raises doubts about this trip, while the Toronto Sun points out the lack of update on this matter.

The account remains factual: audiences canceled until October 20, a hospital stay of about one week, and the pope requesting dinner after the operation, according to a Vatican source cited by the National Post. The first hospitalization of his pontificate, which began on May 8, 2025, is presented as a medical step rather than a challenge to the governance of the Church.