Pope Leo XIV admitted to Gemelli Hospital for surgery to remove nodule from lung

Pope Leo XIV was driven to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday to prepare for a surgery removing a nodule from his lung.It is expected that the Holy Father will undergo the operation this afternoon. He has characterized the nodule — a small growth of tissue on the inside of his lung — as minor and treatable.The Holy See has not disclosed the exact nature of his diagnosis, including whether the nodule is believed to be cancerous. Pope Leo XIV leaves the Vatican for the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, where he’s expected to be operated on to remove a lung nodule. (Andrew Medichini/AP Photo) Pope Leo XIV announced the operation on Sunday at his weekly Angelus appearance in St. Peter’s Square — an unusually candid admission from the Holy See.“Dear brothers and sisters, recently, during some medical examinations, doctors found a well-defined nodule in one of my lungs. It was detected at a very early stage and is well localized,” he told the gathered faithful. “The doctors believe it is advisable to operate. I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it, following their advice.”He told the crowd, “The operation has already been scheduled for the coming days. I thank you for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers.”It was a shock to both the public and the Vatican press corps. The health of the pontiff has historically been treated with intense discretion and privacy due to the global ramifications in the event of an untimely passing.Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, speaking to reporters at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome on Tuesday, said “no one expected” the announcement and admitted to being “worried.”“But these are, as the pope has said, Godʼs surprises,” Parolin said.Medical Director Andrea Cambieri, right, receives Pope Leo XIV as he arrives at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, where he’s expected to be operated on to remove a lung nodule. (Gregorio Borgia/AP Photo) He added, “We were all struck by the serenity … We hope, as he said, that we are at the very beginning of this difficulty, and therefore that the problem can be resolved as soon as possible.”Gemelli Hospital has a long relationship with the Holy See, built on a plot of land donated by Pope Pius XI in 1934 and inaugurated by Paul VI in 1964.POPE LEO XIV SAYS VATICAN IS RENEWING ALLIANCE WITH ‘ARTISTS AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS’ AGAINST AIPope St. John Paul II was the first pontiff to regularly receive care at the facility during his decades of health decline, and Pope Francis visited it several times for treatment during his own pontificate.The hospital maintains a dedicated suite for papal inpatients, complete with lounges, rooms for his security detail, and space for secretaries to work.