Pope Leo XIV admitted to Rome hospital for lung nodule surgery

Pope Leo XIV was admitted to hospital in Rome on Tuesday, October 13, for an operation to remove a pulmonary nodule, a small growth of tissue in the lung. The Vatican said surgery would take place that afternoon. The admission is the 71-year-old's first hospitalization since he became head of the Catholic Church on May 8, 2025.

Following Sunday's Angelus prayers, Leo told the faithful in St. Peter's Square that doctors had found the nodule at a very early stage during recent medical checks. He said his doctors believed intervention was appropriate. The announcement came as a surprise.

He smiled and waved to crowds at the Gemelli before walking into the hospital. The Vatican said the operation would be performed by the hospital's thoracic surgery team, led by Stefano Margaritora. Recovery is expected to take about a week, and his audiences have been cancelled until October 20.

Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to leave Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic on Saturday following surgery on his right lung. His medical team said doctors had assessed him as fit to leave the hospital.

Dr. Luigi Carbone and Prof. Stefano Margaritora said their discharge assessment followed blood tests and a chest X-ray performed that morning. Their statement also cited an evaluation of the pope's clinical condition.

Leo was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma. The Lung Cancer Foundation of America identifies it as the most common subtype of non-small cell lung cancer, accounting for roughly 40% of all lung cancer cases.

The American Cancer Society explains that lung adenocarcinoma starts in mucus-producing cells called epithelial cells. These cells line the surface of the lungs.

The medical team's statement also sets out a public engagement for Sunday: the pope is to recite the Angelus prayer from the window of the papal apartment.

The Vatican said the pope had already resumed work activities on Thursday. That return to work came just days after he underwent the operation.

Pope Leo XIV cleared for Saturday discharge after lung surgery

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