Pope Leo XIV to undergo operation to remove lung growth this week
Pope Leo XIV, head of the Catholic Church, has announced he will have surgery this week to remove a lump on his lung. Doctors expect about a week of recovery, which would keep his November 6 Latin America trip on schedule.
Pope Leo XIV, the 71-year-old head of the Catholic Church, has said he will undergo an operation in Rome this week to remove a lump on his lung. It is the first time a pope has personally announced a medical procedure of this kind. The outcome matters for his planned trip to Latin America.
When the operation will take place
The pope said the procedure was planned "in the coming days". The Vatican press office said it would happen at the start of the week but gave no date. Italian media have speculated about Tuesday. The pope is due to preside over a Mass in St Peter's Basilica on Wednesday morning with Church leaders from around the world, and no change to his schedule has been announced so far.
The Vatican says doctors expect recovery to take around a week. That would allow him to leave on November 6 for an 11-day visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. Peru holds a special place for him: he worked there as a missionary for two decades and took Peruvian citizenship.
What a pulmonary nodule is
A pulmonary nodule is a small growth of tissue in the lung. Most are benign, but a small percentage can be an early stage of lung cancer. Small nodules usually cause no symptoms and are found during checks for other health issues. Larger ones can cause shortness of breath, chest pain and persistent coughing, sometimes with blood. The operation is normally done under general anaesthetic, with the patient breathing through a tube. The pope is otherwise healthy and known for his love of sport.
The location
The surgery is expected at Rome's Gemelli hospital, where popes are usually treated. His predecessor Francis spent weeks there before his death last year. John Paul II, who led the Church from 1978 until his death in 2005, was treated there nine times and spent 153 days in total, joking that it was "Vatican number three". A top-floor apartment was later created at the site, reportedly with a meeting room for medical staff, a kitchen, a bathroom, rest areas and a small chapel.
