Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told AFP on Monday that the pontiff would be admitted on “Tuesday, late morning”.
The surgery to remove a pulmonary nodule, or small growth of tissue in the lung, will mark the pope’s first hospitalisation since he became head of the Catholic Church on May 8, 2025.
It is expected to take place at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, north of the Vatican, which has a dedicated papal suite.
In a surprise announcement following Angelus prayers on Sunday, Leo told assembled crowds that doctors had discovered the nodule “at a very early stage” during recent medical checks.
“The doctors believe it would be right to intervene and so, following their advice, I have decided to have the operation to remove it,” he said, from the balcony of the Apostolic Palace.
The Vatican’s press office has said that the pope’s recovery time could be about a week.
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