Pope Leo XIV Admitted to Rome Hospital for Lung Nodule Surgery

Rome – The Vatican confirmed on Monday that Pope Leo XIV will be admitted to a Rome hospital on Tuesday morning for a brief operation to remove a nodule discovered on his lung. The news comes just a day after the pope posted a calm, reassuring message on his social‑media account, saying doctors had advised him to act now.

“The doctors believe it is best to intervene, so I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it,” Leo wrote on Sunday. “The operation is already scheduled to take place in the coming days. I thank you for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers.”

For those who may not be familiar, a pulmonary nodule is a tiny, dense lump of tissue in the lung. It can stem from scar tissue, past infections, irritants, inflammation, or, in rarer cases, cancer. Most of the time, according to the American Lung Association, these nodules are benign and are discovered through imaging like X‑rays or CT scans. Depending on size, shape and growth patterns, doctors either monitor them or opt for medication or surgery.

The specific scans Pope Leo underwent haven’t been disclosed, but the Vatican says the procedure will be “minimally invasive” and scheduled for the “next few days.” The Pope, now in his seventies, has continued his demanding schedule, meeting volunteers, delivering homilies and traveling between the Vatican and other sites, suggesting his overall health remains robust.

Dr. Samuel Kim, a surgery professor at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, told ABC‑owned WLS that he is optimistic about the outcome. “Even at an advanced age, I know the pope is in his 70s, but he’s in very good health and active,” Kim said. “The pope should be able to have the operation pretty well and recover. So, I’m very optimistic about the prognosis for our pope.”

While the Pope’s team has not revealed the exact type of anesthesia or postoperative care plan, they emphasized that the pontiff will continue to receive spiritual and medical support from Vatican officials and his personal physicians. As always, the faithful worldwide have been urged to keep him in prayer.

For now, the Vatican is focusing on the logistical details—transport to the hospital, a short stay, and a swift return to his duties. The next few days will tell how smoothly the procedure goes, but early signs point toward a routine, successful surgery.