Pope Leo To Undergo Surgery

Pope Leo XIV is set to undergo lung surgery this week, he announced to a crowd gathered for the Angelus on Sunday.

The 71-year-old pontiff told the gathering that doctors found a “localized” nodule — a small, dense area of tissue that is generally non-cancerous and rarely causes symptoms. At the request of his doctors, he will be admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for the operation on Tuesday.

“Recently, during some medical tests, doctors discovered a localized nodule in my lung,” the pope said to the crowd 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.

The pope later took to social media to share the news and thank everyone for their prayers. 

Dear friends, during some recent medical examinations, the doctors found a small, localized nodule in my lung. It was detected at a very early stage and is well-localized. The doctors believe that it is best to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it. The operation is already scheduled to take place in the coming days. I thank you for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers.

— Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex) October 11, 2026

Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, said the pope will need one week to recover from the surgery.

“The operation is scheduled for the first days of this week and the estimated post-operative recovery time will be about one week,” according to Vatican News.

The pope has no known prior health problems and remains routinely active, according to NBC News. His predecessor, Pope Francis, died in April 2025 at age 88 after suffering a stroke.