Pope Leo XIV to undergo surgery after small nodule found in lung

Pope Leo XIV, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, announced on Sunday that doctors have found a small growth in his lung and that he will undergo an operation to remove it in the coming days. The pontiff is 71, and this is the first time during his papacy that his health could prompt concern. The news was relayed by the BBC's Russian service, citing Reuters.

The pope revealed the diagnosis during the weekly Sunday prayer in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. According to him, recent medical examinations showed a localized nodule in his lung. It was detected at a very early stage and is well contained.

Surgery and recovery

The pope said doctors consider an intervention advisable, so, following their advice, he decided to have the operation. Vatican press secretary Matteo Bruni told reporters the surgery is scheduled for the first days of next week. Recovery is expected to take about a week.

The Vatican News portal clarified that the operation will take place at the Gemelli clinic in Rome. A special papal suite was set up at this hospital after the failed assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in May 1981, and it is still in use. In 2023, Pope Francis, then 86, successfully underwent hernia surgery there, and in 2025 he spent some time in the hospital when his condition sharply worsened.

What a lung nodule is

A lung nodule is a small area of denser tissue. In most cases such formations are benign. Doctors' data indicate that fewer than 5% of lung nodules turn out to be malignant, though the risk rises with age and under the influence of other factors.