Pope Leo to undergo surgery to remove lung nodule

What the report says

Pope Leo XIV said on Sunday that he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a small lung nodule that was recently found during a medical check, according to Al Jazeera. The 71-year-old pontiff made the announcement during his weekly blessing in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican, telling pilgrims in Italian that the finding was at an early stage and confined to one area.

The Vatican later said Leo is expected to need about a week to recover after the procedure, but it did not say whether the growth is believed to be cancerous. Al Jazeera noted that lung nodules are often benign, while medical experts cited in the report said the risk can vary depending on factors such as age and size. The pope has not been publicly known to have serious health problems and is described as active.

The development comes as Leo is preparing for an overseas trip scheduled for November 6-17 to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. It was not clear from the report whether the surgery will change those plans, though he said he intended to go ahead with the visit. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also offered public support after the announcement. For the Vatican, the disclosure is notable because Pope Francis, Leo’s predecessor, often kept health issues less public.