Vatican City, Oct 2026 : Pope Leo XIV will remain at the Vatican this week to continue his post-operative recovery following surgery for pulmonary adenocarcinoma, while his weekly General Audience is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, October 21, the Holy See Press Office confirmed on Monday.
The 70-year-old pontiff is recovering at the Apostolic Palace after undergoing surgery on October 13. He was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Saturday, October 17, following five days of hospitalisation.
The Vatican said the Pope would hold his General Audience in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday morning. However, no further details have been provided regarding the format of the event or whether he will undertake his customary tour among the crowds in the popemobile.
The announcement comes after Pope Leo appeared at a window of the Apostolic Palace on Sunday to greet around 15,000 people gathered in St Peter’s Square. The gathering offered an opportunity for the faithful to welcome the pontiff back and express their affection and support following his hospital stay.
Pope to Remain at the Vatican
As part of his recovery, Pope Leo will not travel to his residence in Castel Gandolfo this week. Since the beginning of his pontificate, he has generally visited the residence on Mondays and remained there until Tuesday evening.
Instead, the pontiff will stay at the Vatican while continuing to recuperate under medical supervision.
His surgeon, Dr Stefano Margaritora, who performed the operation, told Vatican News on Saturday that the recovery period was expected to last approximately 10 days. The Vatican has not announced any changes to the Pope’s immediate recovery arrangements beyond confirming that he will remain at the Apostolic Palace.
The Holy See Press Office is expected to issue further updates on the pontiff’s schedule and other activities over the coming days.
Uncertainty Over Assisi Visit
Questions also remain over whether Pope Leo will undertake his scheduled visit to Assisi on October 27.
During the visit, he is expected to conclude the event titled Unarmed and Disarming Peace, organised by the Community of Sant’Egidio to mark the 40th anniversary of the historic interreligious gathering known as the Spirit of Assisi.
The original gathering was held under Pope St John Paul II and became a significant milestone in efforts to promote interfaith dialogue and peace.
The Vatican has not yet confirmed whether the October 27 programme will proceed as planned or whether adjustments will be necessary in view of the Pope’s recovery.
For now, the pontiff’s confirmed appearance at Wednesday’s General Audience represents the next scheduled public engagement following his discharge from hospital. Further decisions on his activities are expected to depend on his recovery and the advice of his medical team.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
