Vatican: Pope Leo XIV’s lung surgery successfully completed

Roman Catholic Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery to remove a pulmonary nodule at a hospital in Rome today and the operation was "successfully completed," the Vatican said.

AFP reported that Pope Leo XIV smiled and waved when he entered the hospital this morning. A few hours later, he underwent surgery to remove a growth in his lung that was shaped like a coin.

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The Vatican issued a brief statement saying: "The operation was successfully completed, not only in line with the estimated time, but also according to the original plan."

"The Pope has returned to his hospital room," the statement said, adding that more details would be released later. The Vatican press office said the pope's recovery was expected to last about a week.

Pope Leo XIV is 71 years old. This is the first time he has been hospitalized for surgery since he became the leader of the Catholic Church on May 8, 2025. Vatican officials who visited the pope yesterday said he appeared to be quite relaxed about his hospitalization.

After praying the Angelus on the 11th, the Pope suddenly announced to the crowd in St. Peter's Square that doctors had discovered the "very early stage" nodule during a health examination. He said: "The doctor believes that intervention is the right thing to do." (Compiled by: Zhang Xiaowen) 1151014