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Leo leaves Gemelli and returns to the Vatican; will pray the Angelus from his window Sunday
Pope Leo XIV walked out of Gemelli Hospital shortly after 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Rome time, and returned to the papal apartment in the Vatican, four days after his lung cancer surgery. Smiling, he waved to the crowd at the main entrance and stopped to greet well-wishers, some of whom gave him gifts, before getting into the car. Before leaving, the Holy See Press Office said, he “thanked Professor Stefano Margaritora, who performed the surgery, together with the medical and nursing team,” and greeted the hospital staff and leadership. Earlier, Dr. Luigi Carbone and Prof. Margaritora said blood tests and a chest X-ray that morning showed the pope “has been deemed fit for discharge,” and he celebrated Mass in the hall on the hospital’s 10th floor. He will lead the Angelus at noon Sunday from the window of the papal apartment. At a Mass on Friday for off-duty hospital staff and Vatican gendarmes, he thanked the doctors, nurses, and ward assistants for what they “have done and continue to do for him.” The statement did not mention the final histology results. America’s Gerard O’Connell reports they are expected in the coming days and will shape follow-up treatment and the decision on the Nov. 6 Latin America trip. — Vatican News · ANSA [IT] · EWTN News · Vatican News · Holy See Press Office · America (Gerard O’Connell) · AP · Also: Holy See Press Office on Friday’s Mass
From the hospital, Leo calls Putin to seek a ceasefire for Oleshky
Leo spoke by phone Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing “deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation” in Oleshky, in Ukraine’s Kherson region, and calling for a ceasefire to allow food and medical aid in and the voluntary and safe evacuation of civilians. Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the pope “took the initiative to plead the case of this besieged city,” where some 2,000 civilians need humanitarian routes out, and voiced hope that Putin will do what the pope asked. America, citing Reuters, reports the Kremlin said it supported the Vatican initiative and agreed to cooperate. It was the two leaders’ second call, after June 4, 2025. — Holy See Press Office · Vatican News · America (Gerard O’Connell) · National Catholic Reporter
Catholics number 1.422 billion as priests increase for the first time in five years
The Vatican’s Fides agency reports that the number of Catholics worldwide rose by 16.69 million to 1.422 billion, and that the number of priests rose for the first time in five years, to 407,421. The 2026 dossier, released ahead of Sunday’s 100th World Mission Sunday and based on 2024 figures, shows growth on every continent, led by Africa. Africa now has slightly more Catholics (288.31 million) than Europe (287.24 million). Women religious fell by 9,292, and major seminarians fell by 2,891. — Vatican News
Also today
Compiled from publicly available reporting as of about 9 a.m., Oct. 17, 2026 (ET). Updated at about 11:30 a.m. ET with the Pope’s return to the Vatican. Quotations are as published by the linked outlets. Headlines from non-English sources are our translations.
This weekend edition was compiled with the help of AI tools and published automatically without editor review. Summaries reflect the reporting of the outlets linked, not the views of Where Peter Is. Please report any errors to the editors.
Photo: Livioandronico2013 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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