Pope Leo XIV arrived at Rome’s Agostino Gemelli University Hospital at 1:07 p.m. Tuesday, greeted patients and staff, and entered for a lung operation doctors plan to perform later in the afternoon, according to Vatican News.
The Holy See Press Office said Professor Stefano Margaritora leads the thoracic surgery team that will remove a small, localized nodule from Leo’s lung. The Vatican said it plans to issue another update Tuesday evening.
Leo disclosed the finding after the Angelus on October 11 in St. Peter’s Square as well as on social media.
Dear friends, during some recent medical examinations, the doctors found a small, localized nodule in my lung. 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…
— Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex) October 11, 2026
“It was detected at a very early stage and is well-localized,” Leo said. He added that doctors recommended surgery and asked the faithful for prayers.
The Holy See has not characterized the nodule as benign or malignant. Vatican News said doctors found it during routine medical examinations. Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, confirmed that doctors expect Leo to remain hospitalized for about a week after surgery.
The Chicago native became the first American-born pope when the College of Cardinals elected him in May 2025, as The Dallas Express previously covered.
Catholics in Rome will gather Tuesday evening to pray for the pontiff. Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the pope’s vicar general for the Diocese of Rome, will lead a Rosary at 6 p.m. Rome time, or 11 a.m. Central, in Gemelli Hospital’s St. John Paul II Chapel. Reina invited parishes and religious communities throughout the diocese to pray at the same hour.
Leo maintained his scheduled audiences Monday morning before entering the hospital Tuesday. On arrival, he briefly approached several patients, including people in wheelchairs, before going inside, Vatican News said.
The hospitalization also forced changes to the pope’s schedule. Leo asked Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle to preside at a Wednesday Mass in St. Peter’s Square that Leo had planned to celebrate for participants in a meeting marking the 10th anniversary of Amoris Laetitia.
The Holy See said it plans to release more information Tuesday evening after the procedure.
