Pope Leo now in hospital for surgery on lung nodule

ROME — Pope Leo was due to have surgery at Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday to remove a small growth on one of his lungs as doctors determine whether other treatments are necessary, in the first major health issue of his 17-month tenure.

Leo, 71, said on Sunday that the growth, a small nodule, had been found on a recent check-up, was "well-contained" and had been spotted early.

The Vatican confirmed that the operation would be led by the Gemelli's chief thoracic surgeon, Professor Stefano Margaritora, on Tuesday afternoon after Leo was seen heading into Rome in a convoy of vehicles. A further statement was expected on Tuesday evening.

The pope waved from a black SUV as he left for the Gemelli, about 9 km (5.6 miles) north of the Vatican.

Upon arrival at the hospital, Leo shook hands with several officials, walked in front of a waiting crowd of well-wishers, some of whom shouted 'Auguri' (best wishes), and headed in via the main entrance.

Surgery could help determine if the growth is malignant or what further treatment is needed, according to medical experts.

The procedure will likely require general anesthesia, and the Vatican has said the pope is expected to recover in hospital for about a week. All his public events have been cancelled until October 20.

Relatively young pope

Leo, elected by the world's cardinals in May 2025, is relatively young for a Church leader. He enjoys sports, including tennis, and is not known to be a smoker or to have had recent health issues.

A nodule on the lung is a small, localized lesion that can be benign. The American Thoracic Society says fewer than 5% of lung nodules overall prove cancerous, although risk rises with age, size, and other factors such as smoking.

Dr. Federico Venuto, chief of thoracic surgery at Rome's Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, said procedures to remove lung nodules are usually minimally invasive and can sometimes involve use of a thin camera tube called a thoracoscope.

"The complication rate is extremely low," he told Reuters.

South American trip

The late Pope Francis, Leo's predecessor, was hospitalized several times as he grew frail in his later years. He died aged 88 in April 2025.

Leo, who spoke in a firm, clear voice at his only public event on Monday, keeps a very busy schedule. He is due to make an 11-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17.

Having the surgery promptly gives him the best chance to keep his South American trip on schedule. The suite in Gemelli where popes usually stay during treatment is currently unavailable because it is being renovated.

The pope is the ultimate earthly authority for the world's 1.4 billion Catholics and does not have a deputy who steps in when he is sick. When a pope is incapacitated, the business of the Vatican's vast bureaucracy carries on as usual, holding off on any decisions that require papal approval.

Typhoid fever

Leo, born in Chicago in 1955 as Robert Prevost, served for decades as a missionary and bishop in Peru before becoming pope. In 1985, when he was a young priest, he came down with typhoid fever in Chulucanas, Peru and was hospitalized.

He recounted the experience in his only major interview given as pope, in a book for Penguin Peru.

Leo said the pain was so bad that he asked God to die rather than continue suffering. He took his survival as a sign from God that "We need you here [on Earth]," he said.

"I never looked back," said Leo. — Reuters

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