Pope Leo XIV to Undergo Surgery After Lung Nodule Is Found
Pope Leo XIV has announced that he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a nodule from his lung. He said it had been detected at a very early stage.
“During a recent medical examination, a nodule was found in my lung. It was detected at a very early stage and is highly localised,” the 71-year-old Pope said during his weekly address in St Peter’s Square, according to AFP on Sunday (11 October 2026).
“Doctors believe medical intervention is necessary, and so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove the nodule. The operation has been scheduled for the coming days,” he said.
After the Pope’s announcement during the Angelus prayer, the Vatican press office said he was expected to undergo surgery within the next few days, with recovery estimated to take about a week.
The operation will take place at Gemelli Hospital in Rome, which has frequently treated popes since the pontificate of Pope John Paul II.
It is not yet known whether the operation and recovery period will affect the Pope’s international travel schedule. He is due to visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from 6 to 17 November.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said: “The calm he showed while speaking during today’s Angelus prayer gives us reassurance.”
Meloni expressed her personal support, as well as that of the Italian Government, for the Pope as he faces a difficult period in the coming days. Leo, who was born in Chicago, became the first pope from the United States last year, following the death of his Argentine predecessor, Francis, on 21 April 2025, aged 88.
Pope Leo was elected leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics on 8 May 2025.
Born Robert Francis Prevost, he has gradually established his leadership style within the Catholic Church. He has begun speaking out more forcefully on some of the world’s most pressing issues, from bloody conflicts to artificial intelligence.
After the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran in February, the Pope became a vocal critic of the conflict.
He condemned US President Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Iran as completely unacceptable and urged Americans to press US policymakers to pursue peace.