What is known about Pope Leo's surgery?

Pope Leo, the spiritual leader of the Catholics, is hospitalized today to remove a small nodule detected in his lung.

Stating that the piece of tissue noticed during a routine health check will be surgically removed, the Vatican announced that the 71-year-old Pope canceled all his public programs until October 20.

Pope Leo, who experienced a significant health problem for the first time in his 17 months in office, noted in his statement on Sunday that the boundaries of the mass were clear and that it was caught at an early stage.

The exact day of the surgical intervention of the Pope, who is expected to leave the Vatican this morning and go to Gemelli Hospital in Rome, has not been announced.

The recovery process is expected to take about a week.

Continuing his busy schedule yesterday before his hospitalization, Pope Leo attended seven separate pre-planned receptions in the morning, including bishops from Argentina, Nicaragua and the USA.

Speaking in a strong and clear tone at the only public event of the day, where he met with representatives of a Rome-based aid organization, the Pope thanked the delegation for the work carried out.

Pope Leo, elected by cardinals in May 2025, is considered relatively young among Church leaders.

It is noted that the Catholic leader, who is interested in sports such as tennis, does not smoke and has not had any known health problems before.

The Pope, who is planning an 11-day trip covering Uruguay, Argentina and Peru between November 11-17, confirmed in his speech on Sunday that he is determined to carry out this visit program.