The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Leo XIV has successfully undergone surgery in Rome to remove a nodule from his lung.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Vatican said the procedure was completed within the expected time and according to plan, adding that the 71-year-old Pope had returned to his hospital room.
“The procedure was successfully completed, within the expected time and in the planned manner,” the statement said.
It added that further details would be provided later.
Daily Sun had earlier reported that Pope Leo XIV was admitted to a hospital in Rome for an operation to remove a pulmonary nodule, a small growth of tissue in the lung.
The hospitalisation marked the first time Leo had been admitted to hospital since becoming head of the Catholic Church on May 8, 2025.
The Pope disclosed the discovery of the nodule during his Angelus address at St Peter’s Square on Sunday, explaining that doctors detected it at an early stage during medical checks and recommended surgery.
“The doctors believe it would be right to intervene,” he told the crowd.
Ahead of the operation, Vatican officials said the pontiff appeared calm about his hospital stay. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, also told Italian news agency ANSA that Leo had been “very calm” when they met on Monday.
The Vatican had said before the procedure that the Pope’s recovery was expected to take about a week. His audiences have been cancelled until October 20.
The development prompted prayers for the pontiff, with Cardinal Baldassare Reina, Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome, leading a rosary service in the hospital chapel. The Vatican broadcast the prayer, which was attended by dozens of people.
Leo, who was born in Chicago and is the first American to become pope, is scheduled to visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17. It was not immediately clear whether the trip would be affected if his recovery takes longer than expected.
Pulmonary nodules are small growths in the lung that can have different causes. Many are benign, although some may indicate cancer. The Vatican has not announced that the Pope’s nodule is cancerous.
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