Pope Leo XIV's Lung Nodule Surgery Completed Successfully; Vatican Says He Has Returned to His Room, With About a Week of Hospital Recovery Expected

ROME — The Holy See Press Office said in a brief statement on Tuesday evening that the surgery to remove a nodule from Pope Leo XIV's lung, performed that afternoon at Rome's Agostino Gemelli University Policlinic, had been completed successfully. The procedure "was successfully completed, within the expected timeframe and as planned, and the Holy Father has returned to his room," the statement said, adding that further information would follow. This report is the latest development following this site's October 11 report on the pope's announcement of the surgery and its October 13 report on his admission to hospital.

Leo, 71, left the Vatican by car shortly before 1 p.m. on Tuesday for the Gemelli hospital, about nine kilometers (5.6 miles) north of the Vatican. On arrival he shook hands with officials, waved to well-wishers gathered outside, and walked in through the hospital's main entrance. The operation was led by Professor Stefano Margaritora, the hospital's chief thoracic surgeon. According to the Associated Press, as the surgery got under way, medical staff recited the Rosary in the hospital chapel, led by the Vicar of Rome, Cardinal Baldassare Reina.

The surgery followed the pope's own public announcement on Sunday, October 11. Speaking to pilgrims in St. Peter's Square after the Angelus prayer, Leo said doctors had found a localized nodule in one of his lungs during recent medical examinations, that it had been detected "at a very early stage" and was "well-contained," and that, following the doctors' advice, he had decided to have it removed. On Monday, October 12, he kept his regular schedule, holding a series of meetings and a gathering of bishops and church leaders at the Vatican.

The Vatican press office said the pope is expected to remain in hospital for about a week to recover, and that all of his public events and audiences through October 20 have been canceled. The Vatican has not disclosed whether the nodule is benign or malignant. Medical experts cited by Reuters said procedures to remove lung nodules are usually minimally invasive, carry a low rate of complications, and will help determine the nature of the growth. The Vatican said it would continue to function as normal while the pope is in hospital.

The Gemelli hospital has a long association with the papacy: both John Paul II and Francis were treated there, and the hospital keeps a special suite of rooms for the pope on its 10th floor, which John Paul II dubbed "Vatican three."

Born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, Leo was elected pope in May 2025 following the death of Francis, becoming the first American-born pontiff. This hospital stay is the first publicly disclosed major health issue of his 17-month papacy; he plays tennis and swims regularly and has no previously known health problems. He is scheduled to visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17, and on Sunday he pledged he would go forward with the trip.

Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 罗马杰梅利医院入口广场及院内若望保禄二世像（教宗良十四世在此接受手术），Blackcat 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0（Wikimedia Commons）

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