Pope Makes Surprise Visit to Pediatric Oncology Ward at Gemelli

09 August, 2026

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Deborah Castellano Lubov

Leo XIV

13 July, 2021

1 min

Pope Makes Surprise Visit to Pediatric Oncology Ward at Gemelli

Photos of Him Walking & Spending Time With Patients

Pope Francis has made a surprise visit to the pediatric oncology ward at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.

In an afternoon note, the Holy See Press Office just communicated this to accredited journalists: “This afternoon Pope Francis visited the nearby Pediatric Oncology Ward, located on the 10th floor of Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where he is hospitalized.”

The Press Office also provided five photos, which all can be attributed to Vatican Media.

From the photos, one can see the Holy Father walking and standing among the little patients.

The Holy Father is continuing his rehabilitation in the hospital for a few more days “so he can return to the Vatican as soon as possible,” a Vatican statement today said.

Copyright for All Photos: Holy See Press Office

Deborah Castellano Lubov

Deborah Castellano Lubov is Editorial Director & Senior Vatican & Rome Correspondent for EXAUDI (& Prior, for ZENIT); Author of 'The Other Francis' ('L'Altro Francesco') featuring interviews with those closest to the Pope and preface by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin (currently published in 5 languages); Deborah is also NBC & MSNBC Vatican Analyst. She often covers the Pope's travels abroad, often from the Papal Flight (including for historic trips such as to Abu Dhabi and Japan & Thailand), and has also asked him questions on the return-flight press conference on behalf of the English-speaking press present. Lubov has done much TV & radio commentary, including for NBC, Sky, EWTN, BBC, Vatican Radio, AP, Reuters and more. She also has contributed to various books on the Pope and has written for various Catholic publications. For 'The Other Francis': http://www.gracewing.co.uk/page219.html or https://www.amazon.com/Other-Francis-Everything-They-about/dp/0852449348/