Pope Leo arrived at Rome's Gemelli Hospital to remove a small growth on one of his lungs, in the first major health issue of his 17-month tenure.
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo had a lower lobe of his right lung removed during surgery Tuesday and was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin.
Leo, 71, was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital Tuesday for surgery to remove a growth on his lung that doctors found in a recent health checkup.
Tuesday's surgery lasted about 90 minutes and was successful with no complications, the Vatican said. The pope woke up normally and is resting in his hospital room.
"The procedure was completed successfully, within the expected timeframe and as planned," said a brief Vatican statement issued late Tuesday.
The Vatican said earlier the procedure was led by the Gemelli's chief thoracic surgeon, Professor Stefano Margaritora.
Leo left the Vatican ahead of the surgery shortly before 1 p.m. in Rome and was seen waving from the back of a black SUV as his convoy drove about 6 miles north of the Vatican to the Gemelli.
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Upon arrival at the hospital, Leo shook hands with several officials, walked in front of a waiting crowd of well-wishers, some of whom shouted 'Auguri' (best wishes), and headed in via the main entrance.
The Vatican has said the pope is expected to recover in hospital for about a week. All his public events have been canceled until Oct. 20.
Leo, elected by the world's cardinals in May 2025, is relatively young for a Church leader. He enjoys sports, including tennis, and is not known to be a smoker or to have had recent health issues.
Dr. Federico Venuto, chief of thoracic surgery at Rome's Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, said procedures to remove lung nodules were usually minimally invasive and can sometimes involve the use of a thin camera tube called a thoracoscope.
"The complication rate is extremely low," he told Reuters.
Pope Leo arrives Tuesday at Gemelli Hospital ahead of the pontiff's surgery to remove a lung nodule in Rome.
South American trip
The late Pope Francis, Leo's predecessor, was hospitalized several times as he grew frail in his later years. He died at age 88 in April 2025.
Leo, who spoke in a firm, clear voice at his only public event Monday, keeps a very busy schedule. He is due to make an 11-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from Nov. 6-17.
Having the surgery promptly gives him the best chance to keep his South American trip on schedule. The suite in Gemelli where popes usually stay during treatment is unavailable because it is being renovated.
The pope is the ultimate earthly authority for the world's 1.4 billion Catholics and does not have a deputy who steps in when he is sick. When a pope is incapacitated, the business of the Vatican's vast bureaucracy carries on as usual, holding off on any decisions that require papal approval.
Leo, born in Chicago in 1955 as Robert Prevost, served for decades as a missionary and bishop in Peru before becoming pope. In 1985, when he was a young priest, he came down with typhoid fever in Chulucanas, Peru, and was hospitalized.
He recounted the experience in his only major interview given as pope, in a book for Penguin Peru.
Leo said the pain was so bad that he asked God to die rather than continue suffering. He took his survival as a sign from God that "We need you here (on Earth)," he said.
"I never looked back," said Leo.
