Pope Leo XIV Walks Into Gemelli Hospital for Lung Nodule Removal

Pope Leo XIV walked into Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday morning and waved to the people gathered outside before heading inside for surgery later in the day to remove a small nodule from his lung.

The 71-year-old U.S.-born pontiff, elected in May 2025, had announced the finding after the Angelus on 11 October. He said doctors had detected a small, localized nodule at a very early stage and that he would follow their advice to have it removed surgically.

The Vatican stated that the operation would take place in the afternoon under a team led by Dr. Stefano Margaritora, director of thoracic surgery at Gemelli and a professor at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart. All papal audiences were canceled through 20 October, with recovery expected to take about a week.

Leo is relatively young for a pope and has not previously reported major health problems. He plays tennis and is not known as a smoker. The procedure is typically minimally invasive for early-stage nodules and carries a low complication rate, according to thoracic surgeons not involved in his care.

The surgery will establish whether the nodule is malignant. The Vatican has not released further details on size or location beyond the pope’s description of it as well-contained and early.

Gemelli has a long history with the papacy. Pope John Paul II stayed there repeatedly and called the tenth-floor suite reserved for popes “Vatican III.” Leo arrived from the Vatican shortly before 1 p.m. local time after leaving through the Perugino gate, where cameras recorded his departure.

Hundreds of people gathered at the hospital entrance. Leo smiled and greeted hospital staff on arrival. The Holy See said the Church would continue normal operations during his stay, though documents requiring his signature would wait.

This is the first major medical procedure of Leo’s 17-month pontificate. Previous recent popes have faced more public health episodes. The early detection and planned short recovery contrast with longer hospitalizations of earlier pontiffs.

The announcement on Sunday caught many in Vatican circles by surprise because the pope had appeared in good health at recent public events. No further medical bulletins had been issued by early afternoon on the day of admission.

Thoracic specialists note that small, localized nodules found on routine checks often prove benign or early-stage when removed promptly. The pope’s public statement that it was detected very early and was well localized aligns with the conditions under which surgeons expect favorable outcomes.

The Vatican has not said whether the nodule was found on a CT scan or another imaging method. It has also not indicated whether additional tests will follow the surgery.

Leo’s decision to announce the matter himself during a regular public address rather than through a press release set a direct tone. He asked for prayers and said he was entrusting himself to the spiritual closeness of the faithful.

Hospital officials confirmed the timing of the operation for the afternoon. No complications were reported in the hours before surgery began. The recovery plan of roughly one week matches standard post-operative stays for this type of procedure when no unexpected findings arise.

The episode draws attention to the health of the current pope at a time when the Catholic Church continues to navigate succession questions and administrative continuity. The short planned absence is not expected to alter the schedule of major Vatican bodies beyond the canceled audiences.

Further updates from the Holy See Press Office are expected after the operation concludes.