Pope Leo enters Rome hospital for lung nodule surgery

Pope Leo XIV will enter Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday to undergo surgery to remove a nodule from his lung. As FTMQ News reported earlier, doctors detected the nodule at a very early stage. DW, Al Jazeera, and CBS News all reported that the Vatican confirmed the hospital admission for the 71-year-old leader of the Catholic Church. [1][2][3][12][15]

DW reported that the operation will determine if the lung nodule is cancerous. CBS News noted that the Holy See press office did not specify the exact date of the operation itself, though France 24 reported that the surgery is expected to happen this week. According to DW, Leo disclosed the upcoming surgery to thousands of worshippers during a Sunday prayer service in St. Peter's Square, marking a notable increase in medical transparency compared to past pontiffs. [1][3][5]

Al Jazeera and France 24 both reported that Vatican officials expect the pontiff to spend about one week recovering in the hospital as an inpatient. Sky News reported that the pope has cancelled all planned public events until Tuesday, 20 October, while Al Jazeera noted that upcoming papal audiences have been cancelled as well. [2][5][6]

The hospital stays come ahead of a planned international trip. Al Jazeera and France 24 both reported that Pope Leo is scheduled to begin a tour of Latin America on 6 November, with visits planned to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. [2][5]