Pope Leo XIV to Undergo Lung Surgery in Rome

Vatican City (ANTARA) – Pope Leo XIV has announced that he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a lung nodule.

A pulmonary nodule is a small, round or oval growth of tissue in the lungs measuring less than three centimetres in diameter.

The Pope made the announcement in person before thousands of worshippers gathered for the Angelus prayer at the Vatican on Sunday.

“Doctors found a small nodule in my lung. It was detected at a very early stage and is well localised,” Pope Leo XIV said, according to a report by the Holy See’s official news portal, Vatican News.

The Pope said his medical team recommended the procedure to prevent further complications, and that he had decided to follow the doctors’ advice.

The surgery is scheduled to take place at Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital in Rome.

He also expressed gratitude for the spiritual support he had received and asked the faithful to pray for him.

“I am grateful for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers,” said the leader of the Catholic Church.

In response to questions from journalists, Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, confirmed that the procedure was scheduled for early this week.

“The surgery is scheduled for the first few days of the week, and recovery is expected to take around one week,” Bruni said.