On Sunday the 11th the pope said he has a nodule in his lung, at a very early stage and well localized, and that he will undergo surgery. Bruni specified that the surgery will be in the first days of this week, at the Gemelli, with about a week of hospital stay (Infobae, RPP, Gestión). For now no changes have been announced to the Nov. 6–17 trip. Sheput said in Lima that the program remains the same (La República, RPP). The dates of the Peruvian leg differ between outlets: Nov. 11–16 (RPP) or Nov. 11–17 (Infobae).
It is a papal visit that mobilizes the Church, the government and cities such as Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa, which are preparing security, traffic and tourism. Any change of date would force everything to be rescheduled.
If you plan to travel or work in the cities on the route in November, it is best to wait for official confirmation before booking. Today no cancellation has been announced.
For the government and the Peruvian Church, the priority is that the program be carried out, and they see no reason to change dates for now.
For some observers, only how the surgery goes will say whether the trip is viable; a pulmonary nodule may require a longer recovery.
What to watch is the exact date of the operation and the medical bulletin afterward, not the rumors. As long as the Vatican does not change the schedule, the responsible thing is to say that the visit is still on and that there is no information on the type of nodule.
Infobae, RPP, La República, Gestión, El Comercio, Correo, Panamericana, Yahoo Noticias (Oct. 11–12, 2026)
Pope Leo XIV to undergo surgery for a lung nodule before his trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru; the Peruvian government says the visit is unchanged
The Vatican expects the surgery in the first days of this week and about seven days in hospital. The trip is set for Nov. 6–17 and the Holy See has not reported any changes.
Leo XIV announced on Sunday, October 11, from the window of the Apostolic Palace and after praying the Angelus, that doctors had detected a nodule in his lung during follow-up tests, at a very early stage and well localized, according to Infobae, RPP and La República. The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, specified that the operation will take place in the first days of the week that begins today, at the Gemelli hospital in Rome, and that the hospital stay afterward will last about a week. A pulmonary nodule is a small mass of tissue in the lung; many are benign, but they have to be studied to find out what they are. The reports consulted do not say what type this one is, and DailyDrop also found no official medical report beyond what Bruni said. Gestión and El Comercio report that the hospital stay would be about seven days. Correo consulted an oncologist to explain what having a pulmonary nodule means. The pope, who was bishop of Chiclayo before arriving at the Vatican, is a familiar figure to many Peruvians, and for that reason the news was followed closely across the country.
For Peru, what matters is the tour. The apostolic journey is scheduled for Nov. 6–17 and includes Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. The dates of the Peruvian leg vary by outlet: RPP speaks of Nov. 11–16 and Infobae of Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa between Nov. 11 and 17. Labor Minister Juan Sheput said the visit continues “without absolutely any change” and that they trust the program will be carried out (La República, RPP, Panamericana). Argentine President Javier Milei wished him a speedy recovery (RPP, Correo), and the pope greeted the Lord of Miracles and thanked people for their prayers for his pastoral visit (El Comercio, Correo). A surgeon consulted by RPP explained that if only the nodule and the tissue around it are removed, recovery takes two or three weeks; if a lung lobe or segment has to be removed, the picture changes. The Holy See has not said which will be the case, so the November schedule remains open. What is still missing is the exact date of the operation, the result of the study of the nodule and the medical bulletin in the following days; only with that can it be said whether the program stays as it is or is adjusted. In the meantime, the Church and the Peruvian government are continuing preparations, and President Keiko Fujimori spoke with Cardinal Carlos Castillo about the visit, according to a press report that DailyDrop could not check against a second source.