Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Pope Leo underwent successful surgery on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, to remove a small nodule from his lung, the Vatican confirmed in a statement issued late Tuesday evening, bringing an end to a day of global prayer and concern for the 71-year-old pontiff's health.
"The surgery was completed successfully, within the expected timeframe and as planned, and the Holy Father has returned to his room," the Holy See Press Office said in a brief statement published on Tuesday. "Further information will follow" . The Vatican did not immediately disclose further medical details about the procedure, including whether the nodule was found to be cancerous.
The surgery was performed at the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital in Rome, a facility that has treated several popes, including Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis. The procedure was led by the hospital's chief thoracic surgeon, Professor Stefano Margaritora, and was expected to take approximately seven hours . Pope Leo had left the Vatican shortly before 1 p.m. local time (11:00 GMT) and was seen waving from the back of a black SUV as his convoy drove approximately nine kilometres north of the Vatican to the hospital. Upon arrival, he shook hands with several officials and walked past a waiting crowd of well-wishers, some of whom shouted "Auguri" (best wishes), before entering through the main entrance .
The Vatican said the Pope was expected to recover in hospital for approximately one week, and all his public events and audiences had been cancelled through October 20 . The Pope had been admitted to the hospital on Tuesday afternoon, and medical staff recited the Rosary prayer in the hospital chapel as the operation got underway . The Vicar of Rome, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, led the prayer, saying, "Let us join together in prayer, asking the Lord to sustain our bishop, Pope Leo, and to comfort all those who are hospitalized here" .
Pope Leo disclosed the discovery of the nodule during his Sunday noon prayer on October 11, revealing that doctors had detected the small, localized growth during recent medical examinations. "The doctors consider it appropriate to intervene and so, following their advice, I decided to have surgery to remove it," the Pope said at the time. "I thank you for your spiritual closeness and I rely on your prayer" . He said the nodule "was detected at a very early stage and is well localized" . The Vatican press office said Monday that no particular issue precipitated the tests, denying Italian media reports suggesting an inflammation had prompted the checkup.
The surgery marks the first major health event of Leo's 17-month pontificate, and his decision to disclose the news publicly at the end of his Sunday blessing, with thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square, suggested an unusual level of transparency by the American pope. The Vatican has historically guarded the pope's health closely, sometimes issuing confusing or sparse information about papal illnesses. Pope Francis had begun to shift that approach, speaking candidly about his frailties, but information remained tightly controlled during his pontificate .
A lung nodule is a small abnormal area measuring less than three centimetres that sometimes appears on a CT scan of the chest or abdomen. Such nodules can be benign or malignant, and surgical removal is often recommended to determine whether they are cancerous, as performing a lung biopsy by needle can be difficult. Oncologists say if the nodule turns out to be cancerous, Leo's prognosis is "excellent" since it will have been removed at an early stage . Dr. Lorenzo Spaggiari, director of thoracic surgery at the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, who is not involved in the Pope's care, said the surgical risk is very small, carrying a mortality rate of 0.6 to 0.8 per cent for patients in otherwise good health with good heart and lung function .
The surgery comes just weeks before a planned 11-day apostolic journey by Pope Leo to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, scheduled from November 6 to 17. Having the surgery promptly gives him the best chance to keep the trip on schedule, though medical guidelines generally advise against flying for three weeks after such procedures . Pope Leo, born Robert Prevost in Chicago in 1955, served for decades as a missionary and bishop in Peru before becoming pope. In 1985, as a young priest, he contracted typhoid fever in Chulucanas, Peru, and was hospitalized, an experience he later recounted in a book, saying the pain was so severe he asked God to die rather than continue suffering, and took his survival as a sign from God .
Messages of support poured in from around the world ahead of the surgery. Italian President Sergio Mattarella expressed "deep emotion from the entire Italian people," adding that "in addition to the prayers of the Catholic faithful, You may count on the heartfelt thoughts of countless people, in Italy and throughout the world, whether believers or non-believers" . Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she wished to express "my personal closeness and that of the Italian Government for the trial he is called to face," adding that "the serenity and tranquility with which he spoke of it in [Sunday's] Angelus reassure us" . Argentine President Javier Milei said "all of Argentina accompanies His Holiness with affection and prayer" . Israeli President Isaac Herzog sent his good wishes "from the holy city of Jerusalem" . The Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, said she would be "holding Pope Leo XIV in my prayers over these coming days, asking for God's protection, closeness and care" . Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, the Pope's home archdiocese, asked the faithful to pray for "his swift and complete recovery" .
For the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, the successful outcome of the surgery brings relief after a day of uncertainty. For the Vatican, the transparency with which the Pope and his office handled the health disclosure represents a notable departure from past practice. For Pope Leo, the coming week of recovery will determine whether his planned South American trip proceeds as scheduled, and whether the nodule's pathology results require further treatment. As the Vatican said in its statement, further information will follow. For now, the Holy Father has returned to his room, and the prayers of the faithful have been answered with a successful procedure.
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