Pope goes to the hospital Tuesday for lung surgery

The Vatican strives to convey calm and routine. It was said that Pope Leo the Fourteenth had attended all of the planned appointments this week. He will only be represented at a mass on Wednesday: Cardinal Dean Luis Tagle will now give the sermon at the end of the bishops' meeting on marriage and family. He was named the highest-ranking cardinal just last week.

The Pope will be admitted to the Gemelli Clinic on Tuesday morning. There is a separate wing there for him and his close colleagues. The operation should take place in the afternoon or on Wednesday.

Trips from the end of October should take place as planned

The Pope said on Sunday during the Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square that he would undergo an operation. The doctors advised him to remove a lump in his lungs. This node was limited and discovered at an early stage. In the Vatican there is talk of an accidental discovery during a routine examination. You are expected to stay in hospital for around a week after the operation.

The Pope is sticking to his travel plans for the time being: On October 27th he wants to take part in the World Prayer Meeting in Assisi, and on November 6th he wants to set off on a longer trip to South America - including Peru, where he worked as a missionary and bishop. This was also confirmed by an Argentine archbishop who met the Pope yesterday.