Pope Leo to undergo surgery

Pope Leo XIV will undergo an operation in the coming days to remove a “localised” nodule in one of his lungs. 

Pope Leo XIV announced that he will undergo an operation at the beginning of this week. According to the Holy Father, the nodule was “detected at a very early stage and is well localised,” and doctors advised that “surgery is appropriate.”

The sovereign of the world’s smallest country — with a following of over 1.4 billion — also thanked those for their support and “spiritual closeness”.

Dear friends, during some recent medical examinations, doctors found a localised nodule in my lung. It was detected at a very early stage and is well localised. The doctors believe surgery is appropriate. Following their advice, I have therefore decided to undergo an operation to remove it. The operation is already scheduled for the coming days. I thank you for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers. — Pope Leo XIV 

He is not known to have any prior health issues.

Per Vatican News, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, stated that “the operation is scheduled for the first days of this week and the estimated post-operative recovery time will be about one week.”

The NHS describes a pulmonary nodule as “a very small area of round shadowing, like a ‘spot’ or ‘blob’, seen on a CT scan.” They are typically 3cm (1 inch) or less and do not cause any symptoms. Most are benign (non-cancerous), however, some could be in early stages of lung cancer.

The Royal News Organisation has reached out to the HSPO for comment.