Pope Leo XIV goes into Rome's Gemelli hospital for surgery to remove a lung nodule

Key takeaways

• Pope Leo XIV, 71, left the Vatican on Tuesday, 13 October, for Rome's Gemelli hospital to have a small nodule removed from his lung.
• He revealed the nodule himself at Sunday's Angelus prayer, saying it was found "at a very early stage" and is "well-localized".
• Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said post-operative recovery should take about one week. All of the pope's audiences are cancelled until 20 October.
• Doctors not involved in his care told AP and RTÉ that most such nodules are benign, but surgery is needed to find out what this one is.
• The pope is due to travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from 6 to 17 November.

What happened

According to AP, the pope's motorcade left the Vatican through the Perugino gate on Tuesday morning, and he waved to reporters from the back seat. The Vatican said surgery would take place later in the day. Well-wishers gathered outside the hospital.

RTÉ reported that he will stay in the papal suite on the hospital's top floor, which has a small chapel, a kitchen and a meeting room for medical staff. This is his first hospital stay since he became pope on 8 May 2025.

What the pope and the Vatican said

At the end of Sunday's Angelus in St Peter's Square, the pope told the crowd that recent medical tests had found "a small, localized nodule" in his lung. He said doctors had advised removing it and that he would follow their advice. He asked people to pray for him.

According to RTÉ, the Vatican said the nodule was found during routine checks and that no symptoms had prompted the tests on his lungs.

Tokyo's Cardinal Kikuchi Tsutomu, who met the pope on Monday, told AP that Leo said he felt fine. The cardinal said the pope chose to have the surgery straight away so he would not have to change his travel plans for Latin America.

What doctors say

• Prof Federico Venuta, head of thoracic surgery at Rome's Policlinico Umberto I, told AFP (via RTÉ) that a nodule can be benign or malignant. He said that even if it is not benign, the outlook for a healthy person with a nodule caught this early and with no spread would be "very positive".
• He also said patients usually avoid flying for about 20 days after this kind of operation, though there is some flexibility.
• Dr Lorenzo Spaggiari of the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, who knows the Gemelli team, told AP these are conditions that "can be treated very well" if the pope's description matches the clinical picture.

AP reported that the operation is usually done under general anaesthesia.

This article is for information only and is not medical advice.

Background

Leo XIV, born in Chicago, is the first pope from the United States. RTÉ reports that he is generally believed to be in good health and enjoys playing tennis. He is 17 months into his papacy.

What happens next

• The Vatican is expected to give an update after the operation, including whether tests show the nodule is benign.
• Watch for any change to the 6–17 November trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.
• Audiences remain suspended until 20 October.

TalkEmber will update this post when the Vatican releases news on the surgery.