Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to be admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday, October 13, for surgery to remove a small, localized nodule in his lung, the Vatican has confirmed.

According to Vatican News, the Pope is expected to arrive at the hospital late Tuesday morning, following routine medical examinations that detected the nodule.

The pontiff announced the planned operation during his Sunday Angelus address, explaining that the growth had been identified at a very early stage and was well localized.

Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office, confirmed that the Pope’s post-operative hospital stay is expected to last approximately one week.

The operation will require adjustments to the Pope’s official schedule and ongoing Vatican engagements.

On Monday, October 12, Pope Leo maintained his scheduled morning audiences but was expected to miss the afternoon session of a Vatican meeting marking the 10th anniversary of *Amoris laetitia*, Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation on love in the family.

The changes will also affect a Mass scheduled for Wednesday, October 14, in St Peter’s Square. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, will preside over the celebration in place of the Pope.

Participants in the gathering include heads of Eastern Churches, presidents of bishops’ conferences, married couples and experts.

The Vatican meeting’s organisers have also adjusted plans for its concluding synthesis report. The Pope had expressed a desire to hear the participants’ conclusions and offer his reflections. Consequently, publication of the report has been postponed until he can review its contents after leaving hospital.

Messages of support and prayers for the Pope’s recovery have continued to arrive from Christian leaders and political figures around the world.

The Vatican has not indicated any further details about the surgical procedure beyond the planned removal of the localized lung nodule.