Pope Leo XIV has said he will have surgery to remove a lung nodule found during recent medical checks.
On October 11, the pope shared the news with people gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Sunday's Angelus prayer. “It was detected at a very early stage and is well-defined. The doctors deem it advisable to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it.”
A lung nodule is a small area of dense tissue in the lung. Most are non-cancerous, though the risk of complications can increase with factors such as age.
The Vatican said the surgery was planned for early next week and that the pope would spend about a week in hospital recovering. Decisions requiring his signature will be paused.
Indeed, since his election following the death of Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV has drawn worldwide attention to both his leadership style and his message for the future of the Church.
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