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Oxford Oratory to rebuild its High Altar

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The Oxford Oratory in Oxford, England is rebuilding its historic high altar after it was deconstructed (a “wreckovation” as we call it) in the 1960’s following the Second Vatican Council. While the Traditional Latin Mass was still the norm at the time, the Sacred Congregation of Rites and the Consilium under Pope Paul VI issued the instruction Inter Oecumenici on September 26, 1964, which took effect on March 7, 1965.

The document suggested that the main altar be constructed apart from the wall so that celebrations versus populum (facing the people) would be possible (as opposed to the traditional ad orientem, or liturgical east). Although the instructions were framed as preferred options rather than mandatory, many local bishops and priests eagerly dismantled churches, destroying beautiful historic parts of the buildings, as happened with the high altar of the Oxford Oratory.

The reconstruction commenced in September 2026 and is expected to take around six months. The restoration of the altar, apse, and sacristy will cost around $4.45 million (£3.3 million, according to the Oratory. The project and the accompanying fundraiser are advertised by the Oratorian fathers with the slogan: “We’re putting it all back.”

The editor of Catholic blog Nuntiatoria, an independent traditional Catholic journal (dedicated to proclaiming and defending the perennial truths of the Faith, focusing on doctrine, liturgy, ecclesiology, culture, and public life), described the project as follows: “In 1966 the High Altar of St. Aloysius, Oxford, was chopped up and moved forward. Sixty years later, the Oratory is building a new High Altar in its original position. In one sanctuary, the distinction between Vatican II, its official implementation and the later culture of liturgical change has become visible in stone.”

The Oxford OratoryThe editor of Nuntiatoria said that while the reforms of Vatican II may have been the starting point of this new form of iconoclasm, the process had several steps that cannot be directly attributed to the council: “Vatican II authorised liturgical reform. Authorities charged with implementing the Council subsequently made particular choices. Those choices encouraged further practices. Practices became expectations; expectations became embedded in ecclesiastical culture; and within remarkably little time the whole accumulation was remembered simply as ‘what Vatican II did.’”

Nuntiatoria describes how removing the high altar ruined the Church’s entire architectural composition.

The original design is described as follows:

“The steps ascend towards the altar. The rails mark the approach to it. The tabernacle occupies its axis. Behind it rises the great reredos and above it the Crucifix“.

The Oratory’s own account describes “fifty-two full-length saints and another twenty represented in roundels, angels bearing the Sanctus, and Our Lady and St. Joseph in the places of honour beside the Cross. Decorative vines continue from the sanctuary railings through the murals and reredos, bearing fruit directly behind the tabernacle. The Oratory describes the reredos itself as the heavenly court looking down upon the worship of the sanctuary and sharing in that worship from heaven.”

“Architecture here is not scenery but theology arranged in stone, paint and space,” the editor states.

He continues: “Moving the altar therefore did something more consequential than moving a piece of ecclesiastical furniture. Once detached from the architectural composition made to interpret it, the altar acquired a different visual relationship with everything around it. The reredos became a background rather than the culmination of an ascending whole. The tabernacle no longer occupied the same uninterrupted liturgical axis. A second focal point appeared before the structure towards which the sanctuary had originally been directed. Something conceived as one theological composition became several objects sharing the same space. No advanced degree in liturgical history is required to perceive the difference; the photograph is sufficient….

A sanctuary makes theological claims whether those who alter it acknowledge them or not. It establishes relationships between altar, priest, people, tabernacle, Cross and sacred space. It directs attention, establishes hierarchy and teaches the worshipper how to inhabit the church before a word of catechesis has been spoken“.

The old structure of the Church showed that “Catholic worship has a direction” and that the “neither celebrant nor congregation,” but God, is the protagonist.

The Oratory is not simply reconstructing the altar as it was immediately before its destruction, but is using the original plans by architect Joseph Hansom to recreate an even more detailed and complex design that had to be progressively simplified due to a lack of funding when it was first built in the 19th century.

The Oxford Oratory is located inside St. Aloysius of Gonzaga Church, which was built by Jesuits and opened in 1875 to serve Oxford’s growing Catholic population. It has connections to important historical figures of the English Catholic Church. Cardinal Henry Edward Manning, then archbishop of Westminster, preached at the opening of the Church. St. John-Henry Newman helped establish the vision of an Oratory in Oxford and also preached in the church in 1880. J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the much-loved Lord of the Rings books, was a regular attendee of the Oratory.

Note: An oratory (from Latin oratorium, “a place of prayer”) is a sacred space set aside by ecclesiastical authority for prayer and the celebration of Mass. It is not a parish church but a chapel-like structure intended for more limited or specialized use.The Oratory was served by the Jesuits until the 1980s. In 1990, the Fathers of the Birmingham Oratory took over and, in 1993, the Oxford Oratory became an independent Oratorian community and part of the Confederation of Oratories of Saint Philip Neri.

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FSSP Sets Record for Priestly Ordinations in 2026

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FSSP Sets Record for Priestly Ordinations in 2026

The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP) has ordained 25 new priests in 2026 — its highest annual total since its founding in 1988 — marking a historic milestone in its growth.

Note: The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) is a traditionalist Catholic society of apostolic life founded on 18 July 1988, dedicated to forming priests and serving the faithful using the 1962 Roman Missal (Latin Mass), and fully in communion with the Holy See.

The FSSP celebrated twelve priestly ordinations on May 28 at St. Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha, Nebraska, and thirteen more on June 20 in Lindenberg, Bavaria, Germany. This brings the total to 25 new priests in a single year, surpassing all previous records for the fraternity.

On May 28, 2026 Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami ordained twelve seminarians who had formed at the FSSP’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska.

On June 28, 2026 Bishop Marc Aillet of Bayonne, Lescar and Oloron Lindenberg, Bavaria (June 20) ordained thirteen seminarians from ten nationalities — France, Portugal, Czech Republic, Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Poland, and Sweden.

With these ordinations, the FSSP now has over 400 priests among its 579 members worldwide, including about 380 priests, 30 deacons, and 160 seminarians. The fraternity’s average age is 39 years, reflecting a notably youthful profile compared to many Western clergy.

This record is especially striking given the broader vocational challenges in the Catholic Church. The 2026 total equals the entire number of diocesan priestly ordinations in Germany in 2025, underscoring the FSSP’s vitality in contrast to declining vocations in many Western dioceses.

The FSSP expressed gratitude to God for these new vocations, commending all its priests to the prayers of the faithful and concluding with “Deo gratias” (“Thank God”).

In summary: 2026 has been a landmark year for the FSSP, with record ordinations in two continents, a record total of 25 new priests, and continued expansion of its international mission dedicated to the Traditional Latin Mass.

You can learn more about The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP) here.The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) is a Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical right, offering Traditional Latin Mass and sacraments in over 40 U.S. dioceses and 8 in Canada, with international headquarters in Fribourg, Switzerland

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Poland’s Oldest Benedictine Abbey Launches Urgent $1 Million Heritage Appeal

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Article Courtesy OSV News:

The oldest Benedictine abbey in Poland is home to priceless cultural heritage pieces, such as the first music notes of Christmas carols ever recorded, but the sisters preserving the masterpieces lead a simple life — they grow tomatoes, make preserves and welcome guests, doing “what they can” to earn a living and maintain the vast monastery entrusted to their care.

For centuries, generations of Benedictine nuns have kept this place alive. Now, the small community faces a challenge that years of hard work cannot resolve.

“Here, simply ‘tightening our belts’ and denying ourselves many things is not enough,” Mother Stefania Polkowska, the abbess, told OSV News. “We cannot cope with this situation on our own. It truly is a crisis.”

The Abbey of St. Adalbert in Staniatki, founded in the early 13th century, is Poland’s oldest Benedictine convent, with a history stretching back eight centuries. Behind its walls are centuries-old manuscripts, sacred paintings, liturgical vestments and a remarkable collection of historical musical scores, including early Polish Christmas carols.

The Benedictine community has launched an urgent fundraising campaign to complete a major heritage preservation project by Dec. 31, 2026. 

The monastery has survived foreign invasions, the partitions of Poland, two world wars and communist rule. Through it all, the Benedictine rhythm of prayer and work has continued. In 2018, the sisters began an ambitious undertaking called “Benedictine Heritage Cloisters,” intended to preserve their collections and make them accessible to the public. The project includes a museum, library, reading room and spaces for cultural and educational activities.

Many of the abbey’s most valuable objects have remained largely out of public view because the sisters have lacked suitable facilities to display and preserve them. “The project gives us the opportunity to show this enormous spiritual, religious, historical and cultural heritage, which is currently hidden within the walls of the monastery,” Mother Stefania told OSV News. “We want to show all of it.”

When the project began, its estimated cost was approximately $2.8 million. Almost $1.8 million came from European Union funds, while the sisters raised the required contribution through donations and their own efforts. Then the problems began.

“Already in the first stage of construction, problems arose, including water channels running through the construction site that had to be covered with special concrete structures,” Mother Stefania told OSV News. “This meant additional work and increased costs. There were many more situations like this.”

The unexpected complications forced changes to the construction plans and required additional approvals from the authorities. Before the sisters could overcome those setbacks, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, followed by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Construction materials and labor became dramatically more expensive.

At the same time, the monastery opened its doors to Ukrainian refugees, providing shelter to women and children fleeing the war, with the help of volunteers. Despite the rising costs, the sisters continued construction, raising money through donations, their own work and the support of volunteers. By October of this year, the total cost had climbed to nearly $7.1 million, more than two and a half times the original estimate.

The project is now close to completion. Electrical and other installations are in place, walls have been plastered and some flooring has been laid. But finishing work, furniture, museum equipment and landscaping are still needed. The community had expected to have until February, and latest June 2027, to complete and settle the project. But an inspection in October revealed that the deadline was Dec. 31.

According to the abbey, there is no possibility of an extension. The consequences could be severe. The sisters say failure to complete the project on time would require repayment of the EU subsidy, a financial obligation they would struggle to meet.

Meanwhile, life inside the monastery must continue. The sisters are not only financing the new development. They are also maintaining a centuries-old complex that requires constant repairs. In recent years, they have restored the abbey’s church and renovated much of the monastery roof. Heating the buildings, paying for electricity and providing medical care for elderly sisters create significant expenses.

“Construction of the Benedictine Heritage Cloisters is an enormous burden for our community,” Mother Stefania told OSV News. “We have managed all this by obtaining external funds, but mainly throu

For centuries, generations of Benedictine nuns have kept this place alive. Now, the small community faces a challenge that years of hard work cannot resolve.

“Here, simply ‘tightening our belts’ and denying ourselves many things is not enough,” Mother Stefania Polkowska, the abbess, told OSV News. “We cannot cope with this situation on our own. It truly is a crisis.”

The Abbey of St. Adalbert in Staniatki, founded in the early 13th century, is Poland’s oldest Benedictine convent, with a history stretching back eight centuries. Behind its walls are centuries-old manuscripts, sacred paintings, liturgical vestments and a remarkable collection of historical musical scores, including early Polish Christmas carols.
Mother Stefania Polkowska, abbess of the Benedictine Abbey in Staniatki, is seen on the construction site on the abbey grounds in Staniatki, Poland, in an undated photo. The Benedictine community has launched an urgent fundraising campaign to complete a major heritage preservation project by Dec. 31, 2026. (OSV News photo/courtesy Benedictine Abbey in Staniatki)

The monastery has survived foreign invasions, the partitions of Poland, two world wars and communist rule. Through it all, the Benedictine rhythm of prayer and work has continued.

In 2018, the sisters began an ambitious undertaking called “Benedictine Heritage Cloisters,” intended to preserve their collections and make them accessible to the public. The project includes a museum, library, reading room and spaces for cultural and educational activities.

Many of the abbey’s most valuable objects have remained largely out of public view because the sisters have lacked suitable facilities to display and preserve them. “The project gives us the opportunity to show this enormous spiritual, religious, historical and cultural heritage, which is currently hidden within the walls of the monastery,” Mother Stefania told OSV News. “We want to show all of it.”

When the project began, its estimated cost was approximately $2.8 million. Almost $1.8 million came from European Union funds, while the sisters raised the required contribution through donations and their own efforts. Then the problems began.

“Already in the first stage of construction, problems arose, including water channels running through the construction site that had to be covered with special concrete structures,” Mother Stefania told OSV News. “This meant additional work and increased costs. There were many more situations like this.”

The unexpected complications forced changes to the construction plans and required additional approvals from the authorities. Before the sisters could overcome those setbacks, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, followed by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Construction materials and labor became dramatically more expensive.

At the same time, the monastery opened its doors to Ukrainian refugees, providing shelter to women and children fleeing the war, with the help of volunteers. Despite the rising costs, the sisters continued construction, raising money through donations, their own work and the support of volunteers. By October of this year, the total cost had climbed to nearly $7.1 million, more than two and a half times the original estimate.
Dramatic search for remaining funds

The project is now close to completion. Electrical and other installations are in place, walls have been plastered and some flooring has been laid. But finishing work, furniture, museum equipment and landscaping are still needed. The community had expected to have until February, and latest June 2027, to complete and settle the project. But an inspection in October revealed that the deadline was Dec. 31.

According to the abbey, there is no possibility of an extension. The consequences could be severe. The sisters say failure to complete the project on time would require repayment of the EU subsidy, a financial obligation they would struggle to meet.

Meanwhile, life inside the monastery must continue. The sisters are not only financing the new development. They are also maintaining a centuries-old complex that requires constant repairs. In recent years, they have restored the abbey’s church and renovated much of the monastery roof. Heating the buildings, paying for electricity and providing medical care for elderly sisters create significant expenses.

“Construction of the Benedictine Heritage Cloisters is an enormous burden for our community,” Mother Stefania told OSV News. “We have managed all this by obtaining external funds, but mainly through our own work’.

Visit our page for details of The Abbey of Saint Adelbert.

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“A Century of the Popemobile” exhibit at Vatican City

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Vatican City (AFP) – Popemobiles past and present from German automaker Mercedes-Benz are the stars of a new show at the Vatican Museums, emblematic vehicles that serve to bring the pope closer to his flock.

“A Century of the Popemobile” tracks the long relationship between the German-based automaker and the Holy See, where the head of the Catholic Church has used increasingly sophisticated vehicles to meet the faithful, whether in St Peter’s Square, or during papal voyages around the world.

The exhibit is in a temporary pavilion within the Vatican’s Square Garden features eight models borrowed from the automaker’s collection and that of the Vatican.

First on display — and far apart from the white popemobiles of present-day — is the Nurburg 460, a shiny black Pullman limo delivered to Pope Pius XI in 1930, whose luxurious exterior reveals a plush papal seat inside, covered in raspberry silk brocade.

Last is the hulking ML 500 made for Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, with its enlarged enclosed back section allowing for optimal viewing of, and by, the pope.

Sandro Barbagallo, head of the museum’s department of historical collections, told journalists during a preview that the popemobile should not be viewed as “just a simple means of transport”.

“The so‑called popemobile serves to allow people to see the pope, but also to allow him to see. It serves so that people can greet the pope, but also and above all so that the pope can, along the roads, greet and at the same time bless,” he said.

“It is a modern technology placed at the service of the pontiff, at the service of his ministry,” said Barbagallo.

The first so-called modern popemobile appeared in 1980, with the Mercedes-Benz 230G for Pope John Paul II. Its rear resembled an elevated throne covered by a transparent dome, adorned with mother of pearl paintwork and gold trim.

Other cars on display include the 1960 300D Landaulet with its plush beige mohair seat and removable side windows for Pope John XXIII and the 1997 lungo Landaulet with its electrohydraulic soft top for Pope John Paul II. Popemobiles have included bulletproof glass since the assassination attempt on John Paul II in 1981 in Rome

You won’t see all of the vehicles produced for the pope….it leaves out the various vehicles produced by Mercedes-Benz’s competitors that were gifted to the pope, including those from Fiat, Renault, Volkswagen — and even Ferrari.

Not all popes greeted the newer version with pleasure.

In 2014, Pope Francis told a Spanish newspaper “that he couldn’t get close to the people from within his ‘sardine can'” The popemobile was encased in bulletproof glass, although Pope Francis said that he preferred to be more out in the open, despite the safety risks. For short trips to cross Rome, Francis often opted for a simple white Fiat.

Popemobiles have included bulletproof glass since the assassination attempt on John Paul II in 1981 in Rome.

Accessing the show, visitors enter through the museum’s Carriage Pavilion which contains the ornate horse-drawn coaches of popes and cardinals of years past, before global automakers began wooing the pope with their vehicles.

Speaking to journalists, the chief executive of Mercedes-Benz Heritage, Marcus Breitschwendt, said the automaker’s historic cars, including popemobiles, are exhibited in a closely protected museum in Stuttgart.

“A clear rule to everybody” prevails there, Breitschwendt said.

“It’s strictly forbidden to everybody, even to our CEO, to all of us, to sit on the pope’s seat, and that’s the way it will stay.”

The exhibit will be in the Square Garden and opens on October 29, 2026…..no closing date has been announced.

Note: The Square Garden is a formal, walled garden in the Vatican Gardens, originally created under Pope Paul III Farnese (1534–1549) as a “secret garden” to the west of the Vatican, near the Vatican Museum Art Gallery, as well as near Padiglione delle Carrozze.

The exhibit opens on October 29….no closing date has been set.

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The Catholic roots of The Mayo Clinic

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Many have heard of The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, but few know of its Catholic origin.

On August 21, 1883, just after six in the evening, the sky over Rochester, Minnesota turned a reddish color. Twenty minutes later, a tornado struck and a third of the town was gone. Thirty-seven people were dead. More than two hundred were bleeding in the streets. The only doctor in town was William Worrall Mayo, an English country doctor who settled here in 1864. He was 64 years old and noted for his skeptical, evidence-based approach to medicine and religion.

The city of Rochester had no hospital, so a convent school on the edge of town emptied out to become a makeshift hospital. The nuns walked into the wreckage in full habits, led by a woman named Mother Alfred Moes. Born in Remich, Luxembourg, Mother Alfred Moes emigrated to the United States in 1851 with her sister Catherine. Highly educated and multilingual, she joined the Franciscan Third Order Regular in 1863 and soon became the first General Superior of the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate in Joliet, Illinois.

The sisters took over Rommel’s dance hall and turned it into a hospital overnight. None of them had ever been trained in nursing. They learned it then and there, with Doctor Mayo giving orders and the injured laid out on the floorboards. That was certainly “on-the-job” training!

When the last patient was gone, Mother Alfred went to see Doctor Mayo. She told him Rochester needed a real hospital. A permanent one. She said she had seen it, a great hospital rising out of the cornfields on the west edge of town, and that she wanted him to run it.

Mayo told her the hard truth: a building like that would cost $40,000. Well over a million in today’s money. He said no congregation of school teaching nuns could possibly raise it. She did not argue with him. She simply told him that if he would take charge of the hospital, the sisters would take charge of paying for it.

Then she went out and did it:

For six years, her sisters taught school and handed over their wages. Every dollar. She bought nine acres of farmland. She hired the builders. She oversaw the plans herself and, when the money ran short, she found more.

Saint Marys Hospital opened on September 30, 1889. Twenty seven beds. Thirteen sisters, none of them nurses by training. Dr. Mayo, now 70, walked in as chief of staff with his two sons, Will and Charlie, beside him. Those two boys built their surgical practice inside her building. Patients started arriving from Chicago, then from every state, then from overseas. The brothers formalized the partnership in 1919 and gave it their family name: The Mayo Clinic. Today, it treats more than a million patients a year and is ranked the best hospital in the United States.

Mother Alfred Moes died on December 18, 1899, ten years after the doors opened.

The Mayo brothers always said it plainly: Their father did not want the hospital. The nun did. She built it, and then she handed them the keys.

The Mayo Clinic became a charitable and educational corporation in 1919 with the creation of the Mayo Foundation and is known for high-quality care, accurate diagnoses, and innovation in for treating complex medical cases through tertiary and destination medicine (“Destination medicine” refers to programs that help patients travel across regions or countries to receive specialized medical care), it was recognized as the No. 1 hospital in the world by Newsweek Magazine, among others.

In addition to the campus in Rochester, Mayo Clinic operates major campuses in Jacksonville, Florida and Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona. It also maintains the Mayo Clinic Health System, with more than 70 affiliated facilities across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.

Millions of Americans have made the drive to Rochester with someone they love in the passenger seat…..almost none of them knew that the whole thing started with a 54-year-old woman standing in tornado wreckage, refusing to accept a “no”.

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Funny…although not quite Biblically Correct

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Not quite Biblically correct, but funny…..

A Jew tells a friend that his son left home and converted to Christianity… The friend replies:

– It’s funny you say that, my son did the same thing.

Then, both went to the rabbi for guidance. When they shared their stories, the rabbi said:

– It’s funny you say that. My son did the same thing. Let’s pray and ask God for divine guidance.

They began to pray when, suddenly, they heard God’s voice saying:

– It’s funny you say that…

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Pope Leo XIV grants Jubilee Year dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe

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Pope Leo XIV has granted a Guadalupan Jubilee Year from October 12, 2026, to October 12, 2027, to mark the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the new Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City and the transfer of the sacred image to the current shrine.

The Jubilee commemorates two key events:

♦ The dedication of the new Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1976 and the transfer of the miraculous image of the Virgin Mary to the current sanctuary.

♦ The 131st anniversary of the 1887 pontifical coronation of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, Archbishop Primate of Mexico, announced the decision “with profound joy and gratitude,” describing it as a time of grace for the faithful.

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“Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?”

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The phrase is attributed to King Henry II of England, whose frustrated outburst in 1170 about Archbishop Thomas Becket was later interpreted by four knights as a call to murder Becket. The quote (often rendered as “Will no one rid me of this turbulent/troublesome/meddlesome priest?”) refers to Henry II’s anger during his conflict with Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Henry’s words were not an explicit order, but four knights—Reginald FitzUrse, Hugh de Morville, William de Tracy, and Richard le Breton—interpreted them as permission to act. They traveled to Canterbury and killed Becket in the cathedral on December 29. 1170.

What Henry II actually said was recorded by contemporary chronicler Edward Grim as a different outburst:
“What miserable drones and traitors have I nurtured and promoted in my household who let their lord be treated with such shameful contempt by a low-born cleric!”

The familiar wording (“meddlesome priest”) emerged centuries later, popularized in literature and especially by the 1964 film “Becket”.

The phrase has become shorthand for a leader’s frustrated wish that subordinates may interpret as a command, often cited in political or ethical discussions. It appears in modern commentary, including comparisons in political hearings, demonstrating its lasting resonance.

The quote’s enduring significance lies in its illustration of how ambiguous expressions of authority can lead to grave consequences.

We thought was interesting that, on an episode of “Midsommer Murders”, the BBC televison mystery series (Season 14, Episode 6: “The night of the stag”) one of the characters casually mentioned that quote…..and we wondered just how many people actually knew where if came from.

Our guess is not many…but now, YOU DO!

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Update on Pope Leo XIV’s planned trip to South America in November

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Pope Leo XIV is recovering well after lung cancer surgery, and the Vatican has confirmed he still intends to make his planned November 6–17, 2026 apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, though his health will determine the final schedule.

The Apostolic Journey will run Nov. 6–17, 2026, visiting 10 cities across three countries:

November 6-8 Uruguay: Montevideo, Paysandú, Florida  (first papal visit since St. John Paul II in 1988).

November 8-11 Argentina:  Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Luján (Homeland of Pope Leo XIV).

November 11-17 Peru: Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco, Pucallpa  (Pope Leo’s former diocese).

The trip will involve 12 days, 12 flights, and two helicopter rides, with Masses, meetings with clergy, political leaders, and Catholic communities.  Quite a schedule for a man just recovering from lung surgery!

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Pope Leo XIV undergoes surgery for lung cancer

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Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma and underwent a successful 90‑minute surgery on October 13, 2026, during which doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. Tests performed during surgery confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer. YahooYahoo

The operation used a video-assisted technique to remove the lower right lung lobe. The procedure lasted about 90 minutes, with roughly three hours spent in the operating room. Doctors reported no complications, and the Pope awoke normally from anesthesia.

Pope Leo XIV returned to his hospital room shortly after observation and is expected to remain hospitalized for about one week. All scheduled audiences have been canceled through October 20, 2026.

Source: Vatican News Service.

This marks the first major publicly disclosed health issue of Pope Leo XIV’s papacy since his election in May 2025.