Pope Leo XIV, 71, has announced he will have surgery in the next few days to remove a small lung nodule found during a health check. He said it was “detected at a very early stage and is circumscribed”. The Vatican expects about a week of recovery and did not say whether the nodule is malignant.
Pope Leo XIV told pilgrims in St Peter’s Square on Sunday, October 11, that he will undergo surgery to remove a small lung nodule, Al Jazeera reported, citing AP and Reuters.
What He Said
“It was detected at a very early stage and is circumscribed,” the 71-year-old said in Italian during his weekly Sunday blessing. “The doctors believe it’s best to take action, so, following their advice, I’ve decided to have surgery to remove it.”
The Vatican later said about a week of recovery is expected. Spokespeople did not say whether the nodule is believed to be malignant, and did not give a date for the operation beyond “the next few days”.
What a Lung Nodule Is
A lung nodule is a small, localised lesion that can be benign. The American Thoracic Society says fewer than 5 percent of lung nodules ultimately become cancerous, although the risk rises with age, size and other factors such as smoking. Stephen Liu of Georgetown University, a lung cancer expert, said “lung nodules are fairly common and are often benign”.
His Health
The pope has no previously known health problems and is considered physically active, with weekly tennis games and swimming at the papal summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo. His predecessor, Pope Francis, who died aged 88, was hospitalised several times and did not usually announce hospital visits in advance.
The Latin America Trip
Leo has a major trip planned for November 6–17 to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. It is unclear whether the surgery and recovery would affect the itinerary, but he said on Sunday that he plans to go.
Reaction
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wished him well, saying “the serenity and composure with which he spoke about it… are reassuring”.
Image: Pope Leo XIV at an audience with the media, May 2025 (file photo). Photo: Edgar Beltrán, The Pillar / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
