POPE LEO XIV TO UNDERGO LUNG OPERATION, FACE WEEK-LONG RECOVERY
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Agency Report
Pope Leo XIV will be admitted to hospital on Tuesday for an operation to remove a pulmonary nodule, a small growth of tissue in the lung, the Vatican has announced.
The 71-year-old pontiff is expected to be admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital late Tuesday morning, according to Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni, who spoke to AFP on Monday.
The Vatican said his recovery could take about a week.
The procedure will mark Leo’s first hospitalisation since he became head of the Catholic Church, which has about 1.4 billion members, on May 8, 2025.
Leo announced on Sunday that he would undergo surgery “in the coming days” after doctors discovered the nodule during recent medical examinations.
Speaking to worshippers gathered in St Peter’s Square after the Angelus prayer, the Pope said the growth had been detected “at a very early stage”.
“The doctors believe it would be right to intervene and so, following their advice, I have decided to have the operation to remove it,” he said.
Pulmonary nodules are small growths in the lung. Although most are benign and non-cancerous, a small proportion can represent an early stage of lung cancer.
Most small nodules do not cause symptoms and are often discovered during medical examinations for other conditions. Larger growths may cause shortness of breath, chest pain and persistent coughing, sometimes accompanied by blood.
Surgery to remove such growths is typically performed under general anaesthesia, with the patient breathing through a tube.
Gemelli Hospital, located north of the Vatican, has a dedicated suite for treating the Pope and has served as a medical facility for several pontiffs.
Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, spent weeks at the hospital receiving treatment before his death last year.
Pope John Paul II, who led the Catholic Church from 1978 until his death in 2005, was also treated at the hospital on nine occasions.
The facility’s papal suite reportedly includes a private room, a meeting room for medical staff, a kitchen, a bathroom, rest areas and a small chapel. The top-floor accommodation is accessible through a long corridor guarded by Italian and Vatican police.
Despite the planned operation, Leo is generally believed to be in good health. The Chicago-born pontiff, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, is known to enjoy sports, particularly tennis.
He is expected to recover in time for a planned 11-day visit to Latin America from November 6 to 17, during which he is scheduled to visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.
Since his election, the former Robert Francis Prevost has gradually established his leadership style, addressing major issues confronting the Church and the wider world, including armed conflicts and artificial intelligence.
AFP
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