Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to undergo surgery to remove a lung nodule, as announced by the Vatican. The 71-year-old leader of the Catholic Church will enter Rome’s Gemelli Hospital late on Tuesday morning for the procedure, which is expected to require about a week of inpatient recovery. This has resulted in the cancellation of upcoming papal audiences.
During his weekly blessing in St Peter’s Square on Sunday, Pope Leo stated that a small nodule was found on his left lung during a routine checkup. He described the nodule as 'well-contained' and noted that it had been detected early. 'The doctors believe it’s best to take action, so, following their advice, I’ve decided to have surgery to remove it,' he said in Italian.
The Vatican later confirmed that a week of recovery is anticipated after the surgery, and audiences have been cancelled until October 20. Spokespeople did not provide information on whether the nodule is believed to be malignant.
Pope Leo XIV has no reported history of serious illness and is considered physically active, regularly swimming and playing tennis. The surgery comes ahead of an official Latin America tour scheduled for November 6–17, which includes stops in Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. It remains unclear whether the operation and subsequent recovery will affect the itinerary, although the pontiff expressed his intention to proceed with the journey.
Pope Francis, Leo’s predecessor, passed away at age 88 and had been hospitalized multiple times, growing frail in his later years. He typically did not announce hospital visits in advance, leading to speculation about his health.