Pope to be admitted to hospital for lung operation

Pope Leo XIV was due to be admitted to hospital in Rome on Tuesday for surgery to remove a nodule on his lung. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told that the 71-year-old will head to the Gemelli hospital in the late morning.

The surgery to remove a pulmonary nodule, or small growth of tissue in the lung, will mark the pope's first hospitalisation since he became head of the Catholic Church on May 8, 2025. On Sunday, in a surprise announcement following Angelus prayers, Leo told faithful in St. Peter's Square that doctors had discovered the nodule "at a very early stage" during recent medical checks.

The pope's recovery time could be about a week, the Vatican said. His audiences have been cancelled until October 20.