Pope Leo XIV due in hospital Tuesday for lung operation

Pope Leo XIV due in hospital Tuesday for lung operation

Italian leaders offer support as Vatican says pontiff is expected to recover within a week

Pope Leo XIV will be admitted to a Rome hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove a lung nodule that was discovered during a routine medical checkup, the Vatican said Monday.

The Vatican said the nodule was not linked to symptoms such as inflammation or infection. The American-born pontiff announced during his Sunday Angelus address that he would have the operation in the coming days.

Holy See spokesman Matteo Bruni said Leo was following his schedule as planned on Monday ahead of the procedure.

The surgery will take place at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, which treated popes from St. John Paul II – whose pontificate lasted from 1978 to 2005 – onward. The Vatican said the pope is expected to need about a week to recover.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Premier Giorgia Meloni expressed support for the pontiff following Sunday’s announcement.

In a statement, Mattarella said Italians are united in wishing the pope a peaceful convalescence and a swift recovery.

Meloni, on US social media company X, offered her personal support and that of the Italian government, saying she is confident Italians will show their affection and solidarity.