Pope Leo has been discharged from Gemelli hospital in Rome after an operation to remove a cancerous tumour from his lung. The 71-year-old pontiff was deemed "fit for discharge" by his doctors, Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritoria, in a statement published by the Vatican.
Leo, who became the first US-born leader of the Roman Catholic church in May last year, had been in the hospital since Tuesday. Doctors removed part of his right lung to extract the tumour, identified as adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer.
While his recovery from the operation is progressing normally, doctors are awaiting test results to determine if the cancer has spread and if further treatment will be necessary. The Vatican stated that Pope Leo would recite the Angelus prayer on Sunday from the window of the papal apartment.