Pope Leo XIV has announced that he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a lump on his lung, which was detected at a very early stage.
During his weekly Angelus address in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, the 71-year-old pontiff told the crowd that a lung nodule had been discovered during recent medical checks and was highly localized.
The statement by the Vatican press office adds that Doctors had recommended an operation to remove it and that the procedure had already been planned.
It further confirms that his recovery was expected to take about one week.
Born in Chicago, Leo became the first American pope in May 2025, following the death of his Argentine predecessor, Pope Francis, on 21 April 2025. He was elected on 8 May 2025 to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
Since assuming office, the former Robert Francis Prevost has gradually established his leadership style, speaking out on major global issues, including conflicts and artificial intelligence.
