Pope Leo XIV

About 350 Catholic children gathered in Raikia, in Kandhamal district of Odisha in eastern India, from October 20 to 23 for a four-day camp focused on Christian faith, family values, discipline, prayer and challenges facing young people in a rapidly changing world.

Pope Leo XIV will not travel to Assisi, Italy, on October 27 to attend an international interreligious peace meeting, following medical advice to allow more time for recovery from recent lung surgery, the Holy See Press Office announced Friday, Vatican News reported.

Pope Leo XIV has called on Catholics and Jews to work together to defend human dignity, protect religious freedom and reject religious and ethnic hatred, telling a delegation of the American Jewish Committee that their shared commitment to fraternity is essential to building peace, Vatican News reported.

Pope Leo XIV has urged young people worldwide to register for the 2027 World Youth Day (WYD) in Seoul, South Korea, describing the gathering as a pilgrimage of faith, friendship and hope, Vatican News reported on October 22.

Pope Leo XIV does not need further treatment following surgery to remove a tumor from his right lung, according to a medical statement released by the Holy See Press Office on Oct. 21, Vatican News reported.

Theology must help the Church respond credibly to the questions, hopes and sufferings of humanity today, says Fr. Gilbert Delima, rector of St. Pius X College in Mumbai, one of four Asian theologians appointed by Pope Leo XIV to the International Theological Commission (ITC) for the 2026–2031 term.

Fr. Clarence Devadass, associate secretary of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), hopes to bring the voices and synodal experiences of Asian Churches to the universal Church after Pope Leo XIV appointed him to the International Theological Commission for 2026–2031 on October 19.

Pope Leo XIV will continue his post-operative recovery at the Vatican this week instead of traveling to his residence in Castel Gandolfo and will hold his weekly General Audience on October 21, the Holy See Press Office announced, according to Vatican News.

Pope Leo XIV spoke by telephone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on October 19, expressing hope that food and medical aid could reach civilians in Oleshky, in Ukraine’s Kherson region, and that they could be evacuated safely, Vatican News reported.

Fr. Clarence Devadass, associate secretary of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), is among four Asians appointed by Pope Leo XIV to the International Theological Commission for its 2026–2031 term, according to Vatican News. The appointments include 24 new members, while six members from the previous term have been confirmed.

Around 70 religious sisters took part in a six-day formation program organized by the Diocese of Tura from October 12 to 17 at the Diocesan Pastoral Centre in Walbakgre, Tura, in Meghalaya, northeastern India.

Pope Leo XIV thanked the doctors, nurses and staff at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for their care during his recent hospitalization and expressed gratitude to those who prayed for him, according to Vatican News.

Pope Leo XIV has no clinical reasons to cancel his scheduled visit to South America from November 6 to 17, according to Professor Stefano Margaritora, the surgeon who operated on the Pope’s lung on October 13.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Catholic bishops, and Muslim leaders have called for prayers for Pope Leo XIV’s recovery, with prayer initiatives reported in churches, mosques, and educational institutions following the Pope’s lung surgery in Rome.

More than 200 participants from across India gathered at St. Pius X College in Goregaon, Mumbai, on October 15–16 for a national symposium examining challenges to family life, pastoral accompaniment, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI).

Pope Leo XIV led the Angelus with thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, October 18, in his first public appearance after being discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital following surgery on his right lung, Vatican News reported.

Three Catholic institutions in India brought together 247 participants from seven countries for an international webinar on October 16, reflecting on Pope Leo XIV’s theme, “One in Christ, United in Mission,” ahead of the 100th World Mission Day in 2026.

Pope Leo XIV will be discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on October 17 afternoon and return to the Vatican, the Holy See Press Office confirmed, according to Vatican News. The Pope is expected to pray the Angelus on Sunday, October 18, from the window of the papal apartment.

Children receiving treatment in the pediatric oncology ward of Rome’s Gemelli Hospital have sent Pope Leo XIV letters and drawings, assuring him of their prayers as he recovers from lung surgery, Vatican News reported.

Pope Leo XIV’s postoperative recovery continues to show steady improvement, with blood tests and a chest X-ray confirming his overall condition is improving, according to Vatican News.