Pope to be admitted to hospital for surgery, Vatican says

Pope Leo XIV will be admitted to the hospital on Tuesday ahead of surgery to remove a lung nodule, the Vatican said. VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to have an operation this week to remove “a localized nodule” in his lung that was “detected at a very early stage.” It is the first medical event of his 17-month papacy. The Vatican said he will be admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Tuesday, and predicted a weeklong hospitalization to recover.

Here is what is known: A nodule can be benign or malignant A lung nodule is a small abnormal area measuring less than 3 centimeters (about 1.2 inches) across. It is sometimes detected on a CT scan performed to investigate another problem, such as trauma or a lung infection, according to the American Cancer Society. Experts say the nodule could be benign or malignant and that prompt evaluation is important.

If the nodule is cancerous and removed at an early stage, the prognosis is “excellent,” and surgery alone may be sufficient treatment, said Dr. Stephen Liu, a lung cancer expert at Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Leo, 71, is considered otherwise healthy and physically fit, both positive factors for his recovery.

He said the nodule was discovered during “recent medical tests,” and the Vatican said Monday that no particular health issue prompted the checkup, describing it as “routine.” Surgery followed by a week of recovery The Vatican said Leo will be admitted to the hospital on Tuesday in the late morning and undergo surgery in the first days of this week. Oncologists who aren’t treating him said patients can often be discharged after just a few days, to recover further at home. The exact date of surgery wasn’t released, but Leo had a full slate of audiences and appointments Monday morning and afternoon.

The pope will be treated at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, formally known as the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, a nonprofit Catholic teaching hospital that is part of the Catholic Sacred Heart University. The facility has a special apartment set up for pontiffs on the 10th floor that includes a private chapel. Leo’s immediate predecessor, Pope Francis, was treated there before his May 2025 death during a long illness prompted by a respiratory crisis.

John Paul II spent so much time at Gemelli that he called it “Vatican III,” after the Vatican itself and the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo. Upcoming activities and trip in question Leo has several activities scheduled this week but the Vatican…