Pope Leo said on Sunday that he will have an operation this week to remove a small growth found in his lung. The 71-year-old pontiff made the announcement to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his weekly Sunday prayer, marking the first health concern of his time in office.
He told the crowd that doctors spotted the nodule during recent medical examinations and that it was caught at a very early stage. He said it was well contained, and that doctors advised intervention. Following their recommendation, he had decided to go ahead with surgery, which is already booked for the coming days.
Surgery timeline and Vatican recovery update
The Vatican press office said the pope’s recovery from the operation was expected to take about a week. It did not immediately release further information about his condition.
What a lung nodule can mean for patients
A lung nodule is a small, localised lesion that may be benign. The American Thoracic Society says fewer than 5 per cent of lung nodules overall turn out to be cancerous, although the risk increases with age, size and other factors.
Leo’s background and planned Latin America trip
Cardinals elected Leo as pope in May 2025, and he is fairly young to lead the Catholic Church. He enjoys sports, including tennis, and is not known to have had earlier health problems.
His predecessor, Pope Francis, died at 88 after becoming increasingly frail in his final years. Before discussing his diagnosis, Leo referred to an 11-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru scheduled for November 6 to 17, thanking Catholics for their prayers for that visit.
