Pope Leo XIV will undergo surgery to remove a nodule in his lung, discovered during recent medical examinations. He announced the news after the Sunday Angelus prayer, specifying that the tumor was discovered at a very early stage and is well localized.
“The doctors consider it necessary to intervene and that is why I have decided to have surgery to remove it“, the pope said. According to him, the operation has already been planned and will be carried out in the coming days.
Leo XIV thanked the faithful for their spiritual closeness and urged them to pray for him. His statement did not indicate that the nodule was malignant, nor did it specify a specific diagnosis.
A week of recovery is expected
The Vatican press service said the expected hospital stay after the surgery was about a week. No exact date for the procedure or further information about the type of surgery was announced.
Leo XIV is 71 years old. Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost was elected pope on May 8, 2025, following the death of Pope Francis. He is the first pontiff born in the United States.
Sources: cnn.com, apnews.com, vaticannews.va