Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to be admitted to a hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove a lung nodule, the Vatican said.
Weeks after his papal visit to France, where he drew thousands to Mass and prayer vigils, the 71-year-old pontiff announced on Sunday that doctors had detected a small lung nodule during medical examinations. His doctors advised him to have it removed early.
“It was detected at a very early stage and is well-localized. The doctors believe that it is best to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it,” he said.
A lung nodule is a small growth of tissue that may be benign or cancerous. Although many lung nodules are noncancerous, some require further examination or treatment to determine whether they indicate an early stage of lung cancer.
The scheduled procedure would mark the pope’s first hospitalization since he became head of the Catholic Church on 8 May 2025.
Leo is expected to be admitted to Gemelli Hospital in Rome, Italy, where popes have received medical treatment.
Following the surgery, Leo is set to make his first visit to Latin America as pope.
The trip will include Peru, where he previously served as an Augustinian missionary priest at a seminary in Trujillo under his birth name, Robert Francis Prevost.
The 11-day visit is scheduled to include Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.
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