In brief
Pope Leo XIV, 71, was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for a scheduled operation to remove a lung nodule. The lump was found during routine checks and is being removed at an early stage. A large crowd waited outside as the pontiff entered the hospital, greeting them with a smile. The Pope announced the surgery during his weekly blessing, confirming the lump was non‑cancerous but advised removal. The Vatican team will update the world on outcomes after the procedure.
Pope Leo XIV, 71, was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for a planned operation to remove a lung lump that was located during routine checks.
The surgery was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, and the pontiff was received by a large crowd of spectators who had stood outside the hospital for hours. He greeted them with a smile, waving from the lower window of his car, before being taken into the hospital by staff.
At the hospital, the bearded pontiff said he had chosen to act quickly, as he had a trip to Latin America in early November and wanted to keep his travel plans. He stressed that the nodule was contained and detected at an early stage, and doctors had advised that it be removed.
The Vatican confirmed that the operation would be carried out by the Gemelli thoracic‑surgery team and promised to provide an update later that evening. He has already had his schedule cleared until 20 October to allow for recovery.
Nodules are common and are not always cancerous, but when one is removed it is normally examined for any signs of disease. The Vatican assured the public that the pontiff was generally healthy and had no signs of illness.
