Pope Leo XIV Schedules Lung Surgery This Week

On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV took a moment during his Angelus address to tell the crowd something he rarely does – speak openly about his own health. He said a recent medical exam revealed a small, well‑defined nodule in his lung and that, following his doctors’ advice, he will have it surgically removed "in the coming days."

At 71, the pope is physically active – he plays tennis weekly and swims at his summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo – so the Vatican stressed that the nodule was caught early, is tiny (under an inch), and should be easy to excise. The Holy See added that the expected recovery period is about a week, after which Leo hopes to resume his duties.

Medical experts say lung nodules like this are fairly common and often benign. Dr. Stephen Liu of Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center explained that imaging can’t always tell benign from malignant, so removal provides a definitive diagnosis. He added that if the nodule does turn out to be cancerous, catching it now offers an "excellent" prognosis because the surgery would likely be all that’s needed.

The pope’s upcoming schedule includes the closing Mass of a week‑long family‑ministry conference on Wednesday, which he may miss if the operation takes place earlier in the week. He also reiterated his intention to travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from Nov. 6‑17, though officials have not confirmed how the surgery might affect those plans.

Leo will undergo the procedure at Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, the same hospital that cared for his predecessor, Pope Francis, who passed away in 2025 after a prolonged respiratory illness. Unlike the often‑opaque handling of Francis’s health, Leo chose to address the faithful himself, delivering the news directly from the St. Peter’s Square podium.

Oncologists remind the public that a solitary, well‑circumscribed nodule does not automatically mean cancer, but ignoring it is never advisable. Dr. Dionysis Papadatos‑Pastos of The London Clinic emphasized that a careful evaluation – sometimes ending in surgical removal – is the safest route, especially for someone in otherwise good health.

For now, the pope asks for prayers and spiritual support, assuring believers that he is in capable hands and looks forward to returning to his pastoral duties as quickly as possible.