Pope Leo to have surgery after lump found on lung

Pope Leo XIV will undergo surgery to remove a lung nodule detected during a medical check-up. The 71-year-old pontiff announced the procedure during his Sunday noon blessing at the Vatican. He described the nodule as 'early' and 'well-localised', saying it was 'circumscribed' and caught at an early stage.

The operation is scheduled for the first days of next week. Vatican News confirmed the surgery will take place at Gemelli Hospital in Rome. The hospital maintains a special papal suite established after the 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II.

The Pope’s medical team believes intervention is appropriate. He has agreed to the surgery and expects to recover in about a week. Pope Leo's health record shows no prior issues, and he maintains an active routine, including regular tennis and swimming at the papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo.

The nodule is a small abnormal area measuring less than 3cm (1in), often found in chest or abdominal scans unrelated to cancer screening. The American Cancer Society defines such nodules as common and frequently benign.

Pope Leo concluded his Angelus prayer by thanking pilgrims for their spiritual closeness and entrusting himself to their prayers. Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella expressed personal solidarity with the Pope.

This announcement comes nearly a year and a half after Pope Francis, who also faced lung-related hospital treatment, passed away.

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