Pope Leo Postpones All Public Appearances Ahead of Lung Surgery

Pope Leo cancels events for two weeks as he prepares for lung surgery. Vatican confirms hospital admission and procedure details.

Editorial Desk

October 12, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Rome, Italy — Pope Leo has postponed all public engagements until October 20 as he prepares for a scheduled lung operation to remove a small nodule detected during a recent medical checkup.

The Vatican announced that the 71-year-old pontiff will be admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on October 13 for the procedure, which is expected to take place early in the week. This comes after the pope continued his routine schedule on Monday, including several meetings and religious activities.

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Officials confirmed that the growth was identified at an early stage and is not considered immediately life-threatening. The decision to cancel upcoming appearances follows the pope’s own statement on Sunday, in which he acknowledged the discovery of the small nodule during a recent health assessment.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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