Key facts
- Pope Leo will undergo surgery to remove a small nodule from his lung.
- The Vatican confirmed Pope Leo will be admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on October 13.
- All public events are canceled from Tuesday until October 20.
- The nodule was found during a routine health check and is described as "well-contained" and spotted early.
- Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle will lead the Mass in St. Peter's Square on October 14.
- The Pope's recovery is expected to take about a week.
Pope Leo will be admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday, October 13, for surgery to remove a small nodule found on one of his lungs. The Vatican announced that all public events are canceled from Tuesday until October 20. The pontiff, 71, was informed of the nodule during a routine check-up and described it as "well-contained" and spotted early.
The Vatican press office confirmed the hospitalization on Monday, stating the surgery would follow the admission. The exact date of the operation was not specified. Pope Leo's schedule for Monday included meetings with visiting bishops from Argentina, Nicaragua, and the United States, as well as a meeting with a Rome-based charity group where he spoke clearly.
Dr. Federico Venuto, chief of thoracic surgery at Rome's Policlinico Umberto I hospital, noted that surgeries to remove lung nodules are typically minimally invasive with a very low complication rate. The Vatican expects the Pope's recovery to take approximately one week.
Pope Leo's public discussion of his upcoming surgery marks a contrast with his predecessor, Pope Francis, who died in April 2025 at age 88 and often did not announce his hospital visits in advance. Canadian Cardinal Gérald Lacroix expressed gratitude for Pope Leo's transparency.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who was recently elected dean of the College of Cardinals, will lead the Mass in St. Peter's Square on October 14, which was originally scheduled to close a Vatican meeting of bishops' conference presidents. Pope Leo was also scheduled to deliver the closing address at this gathering but will no longer attend. He has also canceled his appearance at an awards ceremony in Castel Gandolfo and an address to an infertility conference.