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Hello, I'm Gina Christian, and you're listening to our OSV Newscast for Monday, October 12th, 2026. Let's catch you up on the Catholic news of the day. Here we go. And of course, our top story is Pope Leo's announcement that he'll undergo surgery in the coming days after doctors discovered a lung nodule during a medical checkup. The 71-year-old Pope disclosed the news in his Angelus remarks yesterday in St. Peter's Square. He said the lump was detected at a very early stage and it's well contained. The Pope said doctors advised surgery, and he decided to proceed with the operation. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni later confirmed the procedure will take place at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, and that the expected postoperative stay is about one week. The announcement comes less than a month before the Pope's planned 12-day apostolic trip to Latin America, which includes stops in Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. Pope Leo indicated the visit remains on schedule, thanking pilgrims for prayers for his upcoming journey. The surgery is the first major medical intervention the Pope has publicly disclosed so far. In one of the first reactions to the news, Archbishop Charles Chicluna of Malta posted on X saying, The Church in Malta is united in prayer for the Holy Father, wishing him well for the surgery he will be undergoing. Archbishop Luis Arguello of Valladolid, the president of the Spanish Bishops' Conference, also urged prayers for the Pope, saying, From Rome I invite the entire Spanish Church, diocese, institutions of consecrated life, lay communities and associations, all members of the people of God and our fellow citizens to pray for the health of our beloved Pope Leo XIV. And a few more details about the surgery. Vatican confirmed today that Pope Leo will be admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital tomorrow. And while officials haven't confirmed whether the operation will take place tomorrow or on October 14th, the recovery period has already led to major schedule changes. Among the events affected are the closing mass and address for a Vatican gathering marking the 10th anniversary of the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laitizia, an award ceremony at Castel Gandalfo, an international infertility conference, and meetings with bishops from Nicaragua. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the new dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside at the October 14th Mass in the Pope's place. Father Giacomo Costa said Pope Leo asked that the final report from the Amoris Laitizia meeting be delayed so that the Pope can review it and offer his reflections after leaving the hospital. Italian President Sergio Mattarella said Italians received the news with empathy and affection. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Israeli President Isak Herzog, and Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela also sent well wishes. Anglican Archbishop Sarah Malali of Canterbury and World Jewish Congress Representative Viktor Eichner pledged prayers for the pontiff. And as I'd mentioned, the announcement comes less than a month before the Pope's 12-day trip to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. Church and government leaders in those countries said they remain confident the visit will proceed as planned after he recovers from surgery. In a statement released shortly after the Pope's announcement, Bishop Carlos Enrique Garcia Camadera of Lorin, the president of the Peruvian Bishops' Conference, noted the Pope's profound serenity and transparency in announcing his surgery, and he said his testimony of fortitude and humility in sharing this news moves us and immediately calls us to unity in prayer. And here in North America, Catholic bishops, clergy, religious, and other faithful in the U.S. and Canada offered their promise of prayers for Pope Leo's recovery from surgery. Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, swiftly promised prayers for Pope Leo. In a statement provided to OSV News, Archbishop Coakley said, The bishops of the United States join with the faithful and all people of good will in praying for his good health. May the hand of Pope Leo's surgeons be guided by the divine physician Jesus Christ. In an October 11th statement provided to OSV News, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops said it united with the faithful in prayer for Pope Leo's health, seeking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Health of the Sick, for the Pope's prompt recovery. Pope Leo's fellow Augustinian brothers joined in those prayers. I spoke with Father Rob Hagen, Prior Provincial of the Order's St. Thomas of Villanova Province, and he told me that while he was celebrating Mass yesterday in a Philadelphia area prison, inmates spontaneously added a petition for Pope Leo. The prisoner reading the petition said, as Pope Leo prepares for his procedure, we pray for him, for his doctors, and in Thanksgiving that all will go well. Father Hagen said, This fellow added that in on his own, and I could tell he was a voice of the people. A public spectacle of barbarically killing our adversaries. That's how Archbishop Timothy Brolio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services described the planned live-streamed firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nadal Malik Kassan. The Archbishop issued a strong and lengthy statement today on the matter just hours after his audience with Pope Leo XIV. In his statement, Archbishop Brolio, the former president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and head of the military archdiocese since 2008, said the dignity of the human person was at stake and called upon all men and women of good will to ask that this decision be reconsidered. He added, as I would in the case of a procured abortion, I oblige any Catholics assigned to the firing squad to request to be excused from this action contrary to the teaching of the Church. As a U.S. military base, Fort Hood is under the pastoral jurisdiction of the Archdiocese for the Military Services USA. President Donald Trump recently approved the firing squad execution of Hassan, a former U.S. Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people and injuring 32 others during a mass shooting in 2009 at Fort Hood, Texas. Archbishop Rollio said executing Hassan would inflict moral injury on the members of the firing squad, and it would damage the reputation of the U.S. military, carrying out an action associated with terrorists and broadcasting the image of the execution of a man in a wheelchair to the whole world. And finally, Sister Mary Teresa Barron, an Irish missionary nun, was recently appointed to lead the Pontifical Mission Societies and to serve as adjunct secretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Evangelization. She said being named to the roles reflects the church's emphasis on lived missionary experience. In an October 9th interview with OSM News, the 57-year-old said she questioned whether she had the academic qualifications for the Vatican roles, but she was told the priority was fostering a missionary spirit. Sister Mary Teresa is a superior general of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of the Apostles. She's held that role since 2018, but she'll leave that post before beginning her Vatican duties in January. Her thirty-four years of missioning include time spent in Nigeria and Tanzania, and she said mission centers on accompanying people rather than making grand gestures. Sister Mary Teresa also welcomed growing roles for women in church leadership, calling her appointment as the first woman to head the Pontifical Mission Societies hopeful progress, while acknowledging change in the church. Pope Leo is well familiar with the challenges, hopes, and fears missionaries face due to his long experience as an Augustinian missionary in Peru, which spanned over two decades, and that's informed his way of leading the church, which, Sister Mary Teresa noted, is very rooted in the reality of what is going on in the world. Osvnews.com. Hello to all our listeners around the world. Always good to see you checking in. Drop us a line, let us know what you think. Thanks so much for listening and God bless.

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