{
  "id": 14541131,
  "title": "Who Runs the Catholic Church When the Pope Is Hospitalized?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/who-runs-the-catholic-church-when-the-pope-is-hospitalized",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-14T21:09:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Time",
    "slug": "time",
    "url": "https://time.com/article/2026/10/14/who-leads-catholic-church-when-the-pope-is-hospitalized-sick-pope-leo/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Pope Leo XIV, the current head of the Catholic Church, is currently hospitalized after undergoing surgery to remove part of his right lung. Tests confirmed he has lung adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer worldwide. Vatican officials said Leo's recovery is progressing normally, and he has resumed eating and walking around his hospital room. Doctors are monitoring him as they perform further tests on the removed cancer tissue to determine what treatments, if any, might be necessary.\n\nLeo, 71, first disclosed his health issue during Sunday prayers in St. Peter's Square, where he revealed a \"localized nodule\" in his lung that required surgery. He expressed gratitude for the spiritual support he has received and entrusted himself to the prayers of the faithful.\n\nWhile Leo is hospitalized, all papal audiences have been canceled until October 20, which has raised questions about who will oversee the church during his absence. Under Catholic canon law, there is no clear mechanism for transferring papal authority if a Pope becomes incapacitated or ill. Canon 335 declares that when the Holy See is \"vacant or entirely impeded, nothing is to be altered in the governance of the universal church.\" This means that no specific rules exist for such a scenario. The Vatican's response is to rely on the Pope's ability to communicate and make decisions, even if he is incapacitated. Currently, Leo is fully conscious and able to interact with church officials, so his hospital stay should not interrupt the functioning of the church.",
  "summary": "As Pope Leo remains hospitalized following his surgery, his audiences have been canceled through Oct. 20, but he remains in charge of the papacy. Here's why.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}