Pope Leo XIV has undergone surgery to remove a lung nodule at Rome's Gemelli hospital. The Vatican confirmed the operation was completed successfully, on schedule, and as planned.

The 71-year-old pontiff walked into the hospital through the main entrance earlier in the day, waving to well-wishers who had gathered. A team led by Dr Stefano Margaritora, the hospital's chief thoracic surgeon, performed the procedure.

Earlier, medical staff recited the Rosary prayer in the hospital chapel. Cardinal Baldassare Reina, Vicar of Rome, invited prayers for the Pope and for others who are hospitalised.

The Pope had announced the discovery of the small, localised nodule during his Sunday noon prayer. He said doctors detected it at an early stage and recommended surgery.

Oncologists have said that even if the nodule is cancerous, the prognosis is excellent because it was removed early.

The Vatican cancelled all papal audiences until October 20 as a result of the surgery, which typically requires a weeklong hospital stay.

Among the final audiences before the operation was a group of 33 pilgrims from St Michael the Archangel Parish in West Belfast. Fr Ciarán Feeney, parish priest and pilgrimage director, said it was an amazing experience to see the Pope up close and receive his blessing.

The parish was celebrating fifty years of faith, having been established in 1976. Fr Feeney said they were praying for the Pope's healing and restoration.

Elaine Kelly, a faith development worker at St Michael's, described the Pope's welcoming manner towards pilgrims, particularly those from Scotland, England, and Ireland.

The West Belfast parish had been on a five-day pilgrimage to Rome, visiting holy places including those associated with St Michael.