Pope Leo XIV Hospitalised for Lung Surgery as Vatican Confirms Procedure

Hospital Admission and Surgery Details

In Egypt, media reported that Pope Leo XIV has been admitted to hospital for surgery scheduled for Tuesday to remove a small growth on his lung, marking his first hospital stay since the beginning of his pontificate.

The report was filed by the Egyptian newspaper Egypt Independent.

The 71‑year‑old pontiff told the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday that doctors had found a “nodule” on his lung and advised its removal, describing the tissue mass as often benign and noting that the growth was detected “at a very early stage” and was “well‑contained.”

The operation is set for Tuesday afternoon at the Agostino Gemelli University Policlinic hospital in northwest Rome, a private facility long associated with the Vatican that provides a special papal suite on the 10th floor, a space Pope John Paul II once called “Vatican three” while St. Peter’s Basilica is Vatican One and the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo is Vatican Two.

Pope Francis had previously used the same suite during a stay for pneumonia treatment.

Medical Background and Vatican Protocol

The pontiff has cancelled all public engagements until October 20.

Dr. Matthew Triplette, medical director of the Lung Cancer Screening Program and a specialist in pulmonary and critical care medicine, said that nodule‑removal procedures are usually minimally invasive with a low complication rate, adding that patients normally remain in hospital for a few days before continuing recovery at home.

The Vatican will continue to function while the pope is hospitalized, although any matter requiring his signature will be postponed; a spokesman said the pope is expected to need about a week to recuperate after the surgery.

The Vatican has no formal rules for transferring leadership if the pope becomes incapacitated, and even if he is unconscious during the operation he retains full papal authority.

Both Pope Francis and Pope John Paul II have issued laws and statements while hospitalized, and day‑to‑day Vatican affairs are already managed by a separate team.

Papal Schedule and Public Reaction

On Monday the pope kept his usual busy schedule, holding back‑to‑back meetings in the morning before joining a gathering of bishops and church leaders in the Vatican.

News of the first American pope’s surgery prompted an outpouring of good wishes worldwide, including from visitors to Rome; Paul Kavulich, who was in the city on a pilgrimage with his daughter and hails from the pope’s hometown of Chicago, said, “We’re just hoping that his procedure is going to go well,” and added, “And he’s got God with him – no doubt about that.”

The Vatican press office said the lung growth was discovered during “routine tests,” noting that Leo has no known underlying health problems and keeps active by playing tennis and swimming.

CNN’s Antonia Mortensen contributed to the report.