Pope Leo XIV recovers from lung surgery at Gemelli Hospital

Pope Leo XIV underwent a ninety-minute surgical procedure at Gemelli Hospital in Rome, where the lower lobe of his right lung was removed after he was diagnosed with cancer, according to BBC News Mundo.

The operation comes amid uncertainty over the international agenda of the 71-year-old pontiff, who had planned visits to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. The Vatican said the pope spent a calm night after the operation and that new reports on his condition would be issued during the day.

In the absence of a specific protocol for delegating the leadership of the Catholic Church when the pontiff is incapacitated by illness, ordinary administration falls to the Roman Curia and, most notably, to the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who is in charge of overseeing diplomatic and administrative affairs.

The secretary of state confirmed that he had held a conversation with the pope beforehand and stressed that the early detection of the condition allows for a favorable outlook on his recovery.