Pope Leo XIV is set to undergo surgery to remove a small growth in his lung after it was detected during a medical check-up.
The 71-year-old pontiff was expected to be admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday, although the Vatican has not announced the exact schedule of the operation.
All of the Pope’s public engagements have been cancelled until October 20, with his recovery expected to take about a week.
Pope Leo first disclosed the discovery of the lung nodule on Sunday, describing it as well-contained and detected early. He had no known major health issues before the finding.
Despite the upcoming procedure, the pontiff is still expected to proceed with his 11-day visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru scheduled from November 6 to 17.
