Pope Leo XIV has announced that he will undergo surgery to remove a nodule found in his lung, assuring the faithful that it was detected at an early stage.
Speaking during his weekly Angelus address at St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, the 71-year-old pontiff said recent medical tests had revealed the lump.
“During recent medical checks, a nodule on my lung was found. It was detected at a very early stage and is very localised,” he told pilgrims.
He said doctors had advised that it be removed and that he had accepted their recommendation.
“The doctors believe it would be right to intervene and so, following their advice, I have decided to have the operation to remove it. The operation is already planned in the coming days,” the Pope said.
Shortly after his announcement, the Vatican press office disclosed that the Pope was expected to need about one week to recover after the procedure.
Born in Chicago, Leo became the first American pope in 2025 following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. Francis had spent several weeks at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where pontiffs traditionally receive treatment.
Leo, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was elected head of the Catholic Church, which has about 1.4 billion members, on May 8, 2025.
Since taking office, he has gradually established his own style of papacy. Though more reserved than Francis, he has spoken out on major global issues, ranging from armed conflicts to artificial intelligence.
His recent criticism of the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran in February drew international attention. The Pope described President Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Iran as “truly unacceptable” and called on Americans to press their lawmakers to pursue peace.
Trump fired back, calling the pontiff “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” to which Leo responded that he had a “moral duty to speak out.”