Pope Leo to have surgery to remove nodule on his lung

Pope Leo XIV has said he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a nodular lesion on his lung that was recently discovered during medical checks.

The 71-year-old said the nodule was found at an early stage and was “circumscribed” or well localised. The Vatican later said Leo would undergo surgery in the first days of this week, with an expected recovery time of a week.

The American pope made the announcement during his Sunday noon blessing. He thanked the crowd for their closeness and entrusted himself to their prayers.

A lung nodule is a small abnormal area measuring less than 3cm (1in) that sometimes appears on a CT scan of the chest or abdomen, according to the American Cancer Society. Often, the scans are done to investigate trauma or a lung infection, unrelated to a lung cancer screening.

Leo 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.

The pope has an extensive trip planned to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru on 6-17 November. It is unclear whether the planned surgery and recovery will affect the itinerary, but Leo said earlier in his remarks on Sunday that he planned to go.

In his remarks, delivered in Italian, Leo said that during a recent medical check “doctors found a small, localised nodule in my lung. It was detected at a very early stage and is circumscribed. The doctors believe it’s best to take action, so, following their advice, I’ve decided to have surgery to remove it.

“The surgery is already scheduled for the coming days. Thank you for your spiritual support, and I entrust myself to your prayers.”

Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, died on 21 April 2025 of a stroke after a long hospitalisation brought on by a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. Francis suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man.

Leo is expected to undergo surgery at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where Francis and popes before him were treated and where there is a special apartment for pontiffs.

The Italian premier, Giorgia Meloni, who was among the few outsiders to visit Francis during his long final hospitalisation, expressed her support and that of the Italian government to Leo “as he faces this challenge in the coming days”. In a statement, she added that “the serenity and calm with which he spoke about it” were reassuring.