Pope Leo to be admitted to Gemelli Hospital

Image: Vatican Media

Source: Vatican Media

Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to be admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital "late in the morning" on Tuesday, 13 October, for surgery to remove a localized nodule in his lung. According to the Prefecture of the Papal Household, all of the Pope's audiences have been cancelled due to his hospitalisation for the week through to Tuesday, 20 October.

The Pope announced his upcoming operation during the Angelus on Sunday. The small nodule in the Holy Father's lung was discovered during a routine check up.

Pope Leo, who has received messages of support from Churches and political leaders from around the world, held all his scheduled audiences on Monday morning. However, he did not take part in the afternoon session of the meeting in the Paul VI Hall marking the tenth anniversary of the publication of Amoris laetitia. And other events during the week have now been cancelled.

Speaking at a briefing in the Holy See Press Office, Jesuit Fr Giacomo Costa, who oversees the meeting's methodology and serves as a consultor to the General Secretariat of the Synod, explained that the surgery and subsequent hospital stay would require changes to how the meeting proceeds.

Pope Leo will no longer preside at the Mass scheduled for Wednesday, October 14, in St Peter's Square, with the meeting's participants, including heads of Eastern Churches, Presidents of Bishops' Conferences, married couples, and experts but has entrusted that role to Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization and new Dean of the College of Cardinals.

"During the Mass, we will pray especially for the Holy Father's health, as well as for families," Fr Costa said.

The Pope's hospitalisation will also affect plans for the synthesis report to be prepared at the end of the meeting.

Fr. Costa explained that Pope Leo had wanted to listen to the participants' conclusions and offer his own reflections.

For that reason, the Pope asked that the report not be published as originally planned, so that he could first hear its contents and respond.

After leaving hospital, Pope Leo intends to return to the document and the meeting's other materials before offering his reflections.

"I think this desire of his to listen is beautiful," Fr Costa said. He added that the Pope did not want the meeting simply to pass without having the opportunity to offer a word that could support the commitment of the whole Church.