Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV is due to be admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove a small, localised nodule in his lung. The Vatican expects him to remain in hospital for about a week, with all his scheduled audiences cancelled through October 20.
The admission follows the discovery of the lung nodule during routine medical examinations. Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office, confirmed that the tests were part of regular health checks and that the Pope’s hospital stay would last approximately one week after the operation.
Pope Leo disclosed the planned surgery during the Angelus prayer on Sunday, October 11. He said doctors had found the small growth at an early stage and recommended removing it. The Vatican has not announced the results of any further medical assessment.
The Pope is expected to enter the hospital late on Tuesday morning, although the exact time of the operation has not been announced. As of Tuesday morning, there was no official confirmation that the surgery had taken place.
Despite the planned hospitalisation, Pope Leo maintained his schedule on Monday, holding his scheduled audiences. However, he will miss further activities linked to a Vatican meeting marking the tenth anniversary of Amoris laetitia, the apostolic exhortation on love in the family.
The hospitalisation has prompted changes to the meeting’s programme. A Mass scheduled for Wednesday, October 14, in St Peter’s Square will be led by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization and Dean of the College of Cardinals, in place of the Pope.
Jesuit Father Giacomo Costa, who oversees the meeting’s methodology and serves as a consultor to the General Secretariat of the Synod, said the participants would pray especially for the Pope’s health and for families during the celebration.
Pope Leo has also requested that the meeting’s final synthesis report not be published as originally planned. He wants to hear the participants’ conclusions and offer his own reflections before the document is released.
After leaving hospital, the Pope intends to review the report and other materials from the meeting before sharing his thoughts. Father Costa said the Pope wanted to ensure that the discussions would offer meaningful support to the wider Church.
Messages of support have reached the Pope from Churches and political leaders across the world following the announcement of his surgery.
The Vatican has not provided a confirmed date for his return to public duties beyond the cancellation of audiences through October 20. His recovery and the timing of the operation remain the main developments to watch.