Vatican Official Expresses Concern Over Pope's Health After Surgery

Pope Leo XIV's health should not be taken "for granted," Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican's foreign minister, stated in remarks to the BBC. The senior Vatican official described the news of the Pope's ill health as "a bit of a game changer" that will "make things a bit different."

This comes after the pontiff was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma following surgery to remove a lower lobe of his right lung. The 71-year-old underwent the procedure at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, which the Vatican reported as successful and without complications. Archbishop Gallagher, speaking after the operation but before the cancer diagnosis was announced, indicated that the church leadership might have been "taking him a little bit for granted."

Previously, observers noted the Pope's seemingly excellent health and active lifestyle, contrasting with the later years of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who often used a wheelchair. "And Pope Leo comes along and he's sporty and he seems to be in excellent health, and now we're told that he's not in excellent health and things have got to be sorted out," Archbishop Gallagher commented.

He suggested that church figures might have previously assumed the Pope was not as vulnerable to the "vulnerabilities and the ageing process" as others. "But lots of us have been through similar experiences at different times in our lives, and we've got through them, and so we hope it's going to be the same case with Pope Leo," he added, expressing his concern and posing questions about how the condition was discovered.

The Vatican has stated that the Pope is showing steady improvement in his recovery and was expected to lead Sunday prayers. Prior to the procedure, the Vatican had emphasized that the Pope exhibited no symptoms of infection or illness. The Angelus prayer, traditionally delivered from the Vatican, has on occasion been recited from a hospital window by previous pontiffs when necessary.

No specific date has been set for the Pope's discharge from the hospital, though his recovery is anticipated to take approximately one week. Pope Leo himself disclosed the news of his operation during his weekly Sunday prayers, informing the congregation in St. Peter's Square that doctors had identified a nodule on his lung. While nodules are common and not always cancerous, subsequent examination confirmed it to be malignant, as suspected by pre-operative tests, according to the Vatican.

Archbishop Gallagher, who is from Liverpool, also indicated that the Pope might consider a visit to the United Kingdom at some point. "He's just beginning to think about what he might do in 2027, but it's still very much at the examining the possibilities stage," he said. The Archbishop suggested that such a visit would "bring a spirit of renewed hope," referencing the positive receptions the Pope received in France and Spain earlier in the year. He cautioned, however, that such international visits require significant planning.

Archbishop Gallagher's full interview is scheduled to air on The Sunday Programme on Radio 4.