ROME: Pope Leo was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove a small growth on one of his lungs, marking the first major health issue of his 17-month tenure.
The 71-year-old pontiff is expected to require about a week to recover, according to the Vatican, which has cancelled all his public engagements until October 20.
Leo said on Sunday that the growth, identified as a small lung nodule during a recent medical check-up, was “well-contained” and had been detected early.
The Vatican confirmed the timing of the surgery after the pope was seen travelling in a convoy of vehicles towards Gemelli Hospital, located approximately nine kilometres north of the Vatican.
The procedure is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.