Pope Leo XIV to enter Rome hospital Tuesday for surgery to remove an early-detected lung nodule, with recovery expected to take about a week

Pope Leo XIV is due to be admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital late Tuesday morning, October 13, for an operation to remove a nodule from his lung, the Vatican said. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni gave the admission time to AFP on Monday and said the expected recovery period was about a week.

The 71-year-old pope announced the planned procedure to people gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, saying doctors had found the nodule at a very early stage during recent medical checks. It will be his first hospitalization since he became head of the Catholic Church in May 2025. His 11-day trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru is scheduled for November 6–17.