Pope Leo to be hospitalised on Tuesday ahead of surgery: Vatican
Leo, 71, said on Sunday that the growth, a small nodule, had been found on a recent check-up.
Pope Leo will undergo surgery on Tuesday to remove a small growth discovered on one of his lungs, according to the Vatican. Despite holding seven previously scheduled meetings on Monday, the 71-year-old pontiff maintained a busy schedule. The growth, identified during a routine check-up on Sunday, was described as "well-contained" and detected early.
The Vatican press office announced that the pope is expected to be hospitalized late Tuesday morning, with the exact operation time not disclosed. The regular advisory on the pope's daily schedule, issued at noon on Monday, confirmed his meetings with visiting bishops and a charity group. Leo, who was elected pope in May 2025, is relatively young for a Church leader and enjoys sports, with no previous health issues.
The Vatican expects his recovery to take about a week. Lung nodules are small, localized lesions that can be benign, with fewer than 5% of lung nodules overall being cancerous. Surgeons perform these procedures minimally invasively using a thin camera tube called a thoracoscope, with a low complication rate. Leo's decision to disclose his upcoming surgery publicly contrasts with his predecessor, Pope Francis, who often did not announce hospital visits in advance.
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