Pope Leo XIV has announced plans to undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a nodule detected in his lung at an early stage.
The 71-year-old pontiff disclosed this during his weekly Angelus address in St Peter’s Square on Sunday, saying the growth was localised and had been identified during recent medical examinations.
“During recent medical checks, a nodule on my lung was found. It has been detected at a very early stage and is very localised,” he said.
Leo said his doctors had recommended surgery and that he had decided to follow their advice.
“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,” he added.
The Vatican press office said after the address that the pope was expected to require about a week to recover from the procedure.
Born in Chicago, Leo became the first American to lead the Catholic Church following the death of his Argentine predecessor, Pope Francis, on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88.
Leo, formerly known as Robert Francis Prevost, was elected leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics on May 8, 2025.
Since his election, he has gradually established his leadership style, taking positions on major global issues, including armed conflicts and the growing influence of artificial intelligence.
Following the United States and Israel’s launch of a war against Iran in February, the pope emerged as a prominent critic of the conflict.
He described US President Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Iran as “truly unacceptable” and urged Americans to press their lawmakers to “work for peace.”
Trump subsequently criticised the pontiff as “weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy.” Leo responded that he had a “moral duty to speak out.”
