The Vatican reveals details of Pope Leo XIV's operation

Pope Leo XIV, the 71-year-old head of the Catholic Church, will appear at the Gemelli Polyclinic on Tuesday morning for a procedure to remove a small nodule from one of his lungs. The information was provided by the Vatican press office on Monday.

It is not yet known whether the surgery will be performed on the day of hospitalization or on Wednesday.

There is a papal apartment in the Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome.

The Pope announced the planned procedure after the Sunday Angelus prayer. He said the lesion was detected during routine tests and is "well localized."

The priest emphasized that the lump was noticed at a very early stage, which increases the chances of full recovery.

Dearest, recently, during check-ups, doctors discovered a small nodule in my lung. It was detected at a very early stage and is well located, reported Pope Leo XIV.

Doctors decided that surgical intervention was indicated. Therefore, following their recommendations, I decided to undergo surgery to remove it. The procedure is already planned for the coming days, he added. He also asked the faithful to pray.