The pontiff will have a nodule removed at the Gemelli. All papal audiences are cancelled for one week.Pope Leo XIV was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove a nodule from his lung. The Vatican has cancelled all his audiences until 20 October.The pope arrived at the Policlinico Gemelli at lunchtime on Tuesday and was greeted with applause from the faithful. It is his first hospitalisation since he became head of the Catholic Church on 8 May 2025.   Angelus announcement The 71-year-old pope revealed the news on Sunday, after the Angelus prayer in St Peter’s Square. Speaking from a window of the Apostolic Palace, he said doctors had found the nodule “at a very early stage” during recent medical checks. He added that the doctors considered it right to intervene, and that he had decided to have the operation. The Vatican press office director Matteo Bruni said on Monday that the examinations had been routine checks. Vatican News described the growth as a “small, localized” nodule. Pulmonary nodules are small growths of tissue in the lung. Most are benign, though a small percentage can be an early sign of lung cancer. The operation to remove one is generally low-risk. Recovery and cancelled engagements The Vatican said the hospital stay after surgery is expected to last about one week, and confirmed that all papal audiences were cancelled until 20 October. The pope will stay in a special top-floor suite at the hospital, which includes a small chapel. An update from the Vatican press office is expected on Tuesday evening. Responding to reporters on Monday when asked about the pontiff’s health, the Vatican's secretary of state Cardinal Pietro Parolin said: "We were all struck by the serenity, a serenity the pope conveyed during his Angelus announcement on Sunday", adding: "Naturally, we all accompany him with our prayers and our affection." Leo, born in Chicago and the first US pope, is believed to be in good health and enjoys sport, especially tennis. He held all his scheduled audiences on Monday morning, and has received messages of support from religious and political leaders from around the world. The surgery has forced changes to a meeting in Rome marking the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' document Amoris laetitia. Leo skipped the afternoon session on Monday and will not preside at the Mass in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday 14 October. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the new dean of the College of Cardinals, will lead it instead, and participants will pray for the pope’s health. Leo is scheduled to travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from 6 to 17 November. Photo credit: Riccardo De Luca - Update / Shutterstock.com

Pope Leo XIV was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove a nodule from his lung. The Vatican has cancelled all his audiences until 20 October. The pope arrived at the Policlinico Gemelli at lunchtime on Tuesday and was greeted with applause from the faithful. It is his first hospitalisation since he became head of the Catholic Church on 8 May 2025.   The 71-year-old pope on Sunday, after the Angelus prayer in St Peter’s Square. Speaking from a window of the Apostolic Palace, he said doctors had found the nodule “at a very early stage” during recent medical checks. He added that the doctors considered it right to intervene, and that he had decided to have the operation. The Vatican press office director Matteo Bruni said on Monday that the examinations had been routine checks. Vatican News described the growth as a “small, localized” nodule. Pulmonary nodules are small growths of tissue in the lung. Most are benign, though a small percentage can be an early sign of lung cancer. The operation to remove one is generally low-risk. The Vatican said the hospital stay after surgery is expected to last about one week, and confirmed that all papal audiences were cancelled until 20 October. The pope will stay in a special top-floor suite at the hospital, which includes a small chapel. An update from the Vatican press office is expected on Tuesday evening. Responding to reporters on Monday when asked about the pontiff’s health, the Vatican's secretary of state Cardinal Pietro Parolin said: "We were all struck by the serenity, a serenity the pope conveyed during his Angelus announcement on Sunday", adding: "Naturally, we all accompany him with our prayers and our affection." Leo, born in Chicago and the first US pope, is believed to be in good health and enjoys sport, especially tennis. He held all his scheduled audiences on Monday morning, and has received messages of support from religious and political leaders from around the world. The surgery has forced changes to a meeting in Rome marking the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' document Amoris laetitia. Leo skipped the afternoon session on Monday and will not preside at the Mass in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday 14 October. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the new dean of the College of Cardinals, will lead it instead, and participants will pray for the pope’s health. Leo is scheduled to travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from 6 to 17 November. Photo credit: Riccardo De Luca - Update / Shutterstock.com