Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer, the Vatican said Tuesday after surgery confirmed the diagnosis.
The surgeons removed the lower lobe of the pope’s right lung and confirmed “the diagnosis of ‘lung adenocarcinoma,’ as suspected from tests conducted beforehand,” the Vatican said in a statement.
The pope, who underwent thoracic surgery to remove a localized nodule from his lung, was in the operating room for roughly three hours, while the operation lasted about 90 minutes. The doctors said it was successful and there were no complications, according to the statement.
The Vatican said that the pope awoke normally after the surgery, and after a brief observation period, he returned to his room, where he is expected to need one week for recovery. The surgery was led by the hospital’s chief thoracic surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora.
The announcement follows an earlier statement from the Holy See Press Office saying the operation was “completed successfully, within the expected timeframe and as planned” and that further information was to come.
The pope, 71, was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday morning for the operation, which he first announced his plans to a crowd gathered for the Angelus on Sunday.
“Recently, during some medical tests, doctors discovered a localized nodule in my lung,” the pope said to the gathering at St. Peter’s Square during his noon prayer.
“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 added.
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