Pope Leo XIV to undergo surgery early this week to remove lung nodule

Pope Leo XIV told a crowd in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, Oct. 11, that he will have surgery to remove a nodule from his lung.

"Recently, during some medical tests, doctors discovered a localized nodule in my lung," the 71-year-old pontiff said from the window of the Apostolic Palace after his noon prayer. "It was detected at a very early stage and is well localized."

He said his doctors think intervention is best. "Following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to have it removed," he said. The operation, he added, is "already scheduled for the coming days."

The crowd applauded. Leo thanked them for their closeness and said, "I entrust myself to your prayers."

What the Vatican has said about timing

Vatican press office director Matteo Bruni gave journalists more detail after the Angelus. "The operation is scheduled for the first days of next week and the estimated post-operative recovery time will be about one week," Bruni said.

The procedure will take place at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, which has a special apartment for the pope. Bruni's statement did not say when Leo would be hospitalized, only that it would be in the "first days" of the week.

The Holy See has not said whether the nodule is benign or malignant. It has not described the type of procedure or what caused the growth. Leo himself used only the words "localized" and "very early stage."

A healthy, active pope

Leo has no previously known health problems. He is known to be physically active, with weekly tennis games and swimming at the papal summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo.

Born Robert Francis Prevost on the South Side of Chicago, he became the first American pope in 2025. He spent much of his career ministering in Peru and later led the Vatican's powerful office of bishops. He celebrated his 71st birthday in September.

The November trip

Leo is scheduled to travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru in November. The Associated Press has described the trip as running Nov. 6-17 in some reports and Nov. 7-16 in others. It is unclear whether the surgery and recovery would affect the itinerary, and Bruni's statement did not say what impact, if any, the one-week recovery would have on the trip.

Leo did ask the crowd on Sunday to pray especially for his upcoming trip to Peru, a country where he spent much of his career ministering.

Ukraine appeal

The health news came at the end of an Angelus address in which Leo appealed for an end to the war in Ukraine and for the safe transport of grain across the Black Sea.

"The daily bread of millions of people cannot be held hostage by war," he said.

What comes next

The operation is expected in the first days of this week, with about a week of recovery to follow. Whether that schedule affects the November trip remains unanswered, and the Holy See has offered no word on the nature of the nodule.