By Sabiu Abdullahi
Pope Leo XIV has announced plans to undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a nodule discovered in his lung during recent medical examinations.
The 71-year-old pontiff disclosed this on Sunday during his weekly Angelus address to worshippers at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
He said the growth was detected at an early stage and was well localised. According to him, his doctors recommended surgery to remove it.
“The doctors believe that it is best to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it. The operation is already scheduled to take place in the coming days,” the pope said in a statement published by Vatican News, the official news service of the Holy See.
Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See press office, said the procedure was expected to take place early in the week. He added that the pope was likely to spend about one week recovering after the operation.
A lung nodule is a small mass of tissue that can appear as a spot on chest X-rays or CT scans. The report did not indicate whether the growth was cancerous.
Pope Leo thanked worshippers for their support and prayers ahead of the surgery.
The planned operation comes weeks before his scheduled pastoral visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17. It remains unclear whether the procedure will affect the trip.
Leo XIV was elected pope in May 2025 following the death of Pope Francis. He is the first American to lead the Catholic Church.
