Pope Leo XIV will undergo surgery this week to remove an early-stage lung nodule, a first health issue for the active 71-year-old American pontiff.
Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace during his weekly noon prayer in St. Peter’s Square, the pope told pilgrims Sunday that doctors had found the growth during recent medical tests and advised prompt action.
The American pontiff, formerly Robert Francis Prevost, said he would follow that advice. Surgery is set for the first days of this week at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, with an estimated recovery of about one week.
Breitbart reported the announcement and the Holy See’s follow-up details on timing and care.
Leo described the finding in plain terms and stressed how soon it was spotted.
He told the crowd:
“Recently, during some medical tests, doctors discovered a localized nodule in my lung. It was detected at a very early stage and is well localized. The doctors believe it is best to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to have it removed.”
He closed with a request for prayer: “I entrust myself to your prayers.”
Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni later told journalists the operation would come in the first days of the week and that post-operative recovery should run about one week. Care will take place in Gemelli’s special papal suite, a facility kept in use since the aftermath of the May 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II.
A lung nodule is a small abnormal area measuring less than one inch that can appear on a CT scan of the chest or abdomen. Such scans are often ordered for trauma or infection, not only for cancer screening, according to characterizations drawn from the American Cancer Society.
The New York Post reported this as Leo’s first known health problem as pope. At 71 he remains physically active, playing tennis weekly and swimming at the papal summer retreat at Castel Gandolfo. He is not a smoker.
Lung nodules are fairly common and often benign. Fewer than 5 percent prove cancerous. When cancer is present and caught early, surgery is frequently the only treatment required, with a rapid recovery in many cases.
Oncologist Dr. Stephen Liu underscored that early removal can stop trouble before it spreads.
“It often can be a blessing in disguise to remove that cancer before it has a chance to grow or to spread... surgery itself, while it may seem dramatic, is often very safe, very straightforward with a rapid recovery.”
Leo still intends to keep a planned two-week trip to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from Nov. 6, 17. Whether the short recovery forces any change to that itinerary remains unclear. He may miss a midweek event while he heals.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni expressed her own backing and that of her government as Leo “faces this challenge in the coming days.” She pointed to “the serenity and calm with which he spoke about it” as reassuring. Meloni was among the few outsiders allowed to visit the late Pope Francis during his long final hospitalization.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella offered “my sincerest wishes for a peaceful recovery and a speedy and full return to health.” Israeli President Isaac Herzog wished the pontiff “a full and speedy recovery.”
The late Pope Francis, who died at 88, had lived for years with chronic lung disease after having part of one lung removed as a young man and grew increasingly frail near the end. Leo’s case, by the public description, was found early, remains localized, and comes while he is still vigorous.
Transparency from the top matters. Leaders who tell the public what doctors found, what they plan to do, and how long recovery should take give people facts instead of rumors. The Church’s faithful will keep the pope in prayer while the surgeons at Gemelli do their work.
