Pope Leo admitted to Rome hospital for surgery to remove lung nodule

Pope Leo XIV is being admitted to Rome's Gemelli University Hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove a pulmonary nodule. The 71-year-old pontiff announced following Angelus prayers that the growth was discovered at a very early stage during recent medical checks. This procedure marks his first hospitalization since he became head of the Catholic Church in May 2025.

The surgery is expected to require a weeklong hospital stay, and the Vatican has cancelled all of the pope's audiences through October 20. Dawn reports that experts consider the operation to be generally low-risk. According to Free Malaysia Today, the pope will be accommodated in a special, top-floor suite at the hospital to allow for his medical team.

The Gemelli hospital is a frequent choice for ailing popes, and Leo is expected to be accompanied by his personal nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti. Deutsche Welle Science noted that the pope has been unusually candid regarding his health issues.

Brief written by urgent.news from CBC News, Free Malaysia Today, Dawn, France 24, Deutsche Welle Science — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.