Pope Leo XIV announced Sunday at the Vatican that he will soon undergo surgery to remove a nodule in his lung.
The pontiff made the announcement while addressing those gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus prayer, as subsequently on social media.
“Dear friends, during some recent medical examinations, the doctors found a small, localized nodule in my lung,” Pope Leo XIV wrote. “It was detected at a very early stage and is well-localized. The doctors believe that it is best to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it. The operation is already scheduled to take place in the coming days.”
He added, “I thank you for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers.”
It wasn’t revealed whether or not the nodule was cancerous; CNN reports that, in most cases, lung nodules are non-cancerous masses of dense tissue, but given its localization and early stage it’s better to remove now to be cautious.
The Vatican said in a separate statement that Pope Leo XIV’s surgery will take place early next week, with an additional week spent recovering in the hospital, likely Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, which has a special apartment for the pope. The Vatican will function as usual during that time, but decisions needing the pope’s input or signature will be put on hold.
The pope is scheduled to embark on a trip to South America on November 6, visiting Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru over the course of 11 days; it’s unclear whether the pope’s surgery and recovery will postpone that trip.
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