Rome, Oct. 17 -- Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to leave the hospital on Saturday afternoon following a four-day recovery from lung cancer surgery, with physicians declaring him "fit for discharge from the hospital" after evaluating his condition alongside blood tests and a morning chest X-ray, according to the Vatican.

The 71-year-old pontiff is slated to recite the traditional blessing from a window overlooking St Peter's Square on Sunday, marking his initial public appearance since entering Rome's Gemelli Hospital.

On Tuesday, Leo underwent a procedure to remove the lower lobe of his right lung after medical staff identified a suspected cancerous nodule. Subsequent examination confirmed the diagnosis as adenocarcinoma, which represents th...