Pope Leo XIV says he will undergo surgery in the first days of the week to remove a small, localized lung nodule discovered during medical checks.
The Story
Pope Leo XIV announced Sunday that he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a nodular lesion on his lung that was found during recent medical checks.
The 71-year-old pope said the nodule was detected at an early stage and described it as “circumscribed” or well-localized. He said doctors believe surgery is the best course of action and that, following their advice, he has decided to have the procedure.
The Vatican later said Leo will have surgery in the first days of the week, with an expected recovery time of about a week. Leo made the announcement during his Sunday noon blessing, thanking those gathered for their closeness and asking for their prayers.
A lung nodule is a small abnormal area measuring less than 3 centimetres (1 inch) that sometimes appears on CT scans, the American Cancer Society says. The scans are often done to investigate trauma or a lung infection that is unrelated to lung cancer screening.
Leo said he plans to proceed with a major trip scheduled for Nov. 6–17 to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, though the AP report noted it was unclear whether surgery and recovery would affect the itinerary.
The pope’s predecessor, Pope Francis, died April 21, 2025, of a stroke following a long hospitalization triggered by a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia; Francis had chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man.
The AP report says Leo is expected to undergo surgery at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where Francis and previous popes were treated and where there is a special apartment for pontiffs. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, among the few outsiders to visit Francis during his final hospitalization, issued support to Leo in a statement, saying the “serenity and calm” with which he spoke was reassuring.
← More stories