VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV says he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a localized nodule found on his lung during recent medical examinations.

The 71-year-old pontiff announced the procedure after his Sunday Angelus prayer on October 11. He said doctors detected the nodule at a very early stage, described it as well localized and advised him to have it removed.

The Holy See Press Office said the operation is scheduled for the first days of this week at Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic and that the expected post-operative recovery time is about one week.

Vatican has not disclosed a diagnosis

The Vatican has not said whether the nodule is malignant. Reuters and the Associated Press reported that lung nodules can be benign or malignant and that surgical removal can provide a definitive diagnosis.

Leo has no previously disclosed major health problems. The Associated Press reports that he remains physically active and is expected to have the procedure at Gemelli Hospital, where several popes have received treatment.

The pope is scheduled to travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17. He referred to the trip before disclosing the surgery, but the Vatican had not announced whether the procedure or recovery would change the itinerary.

Sources: Pope Leo XIV’s Angelus remarks, October 11; Vatican News and Holy See Press Office, updated October 11; Reuters, published October 11 at 6:43 a.m. EDT; Associated Press, October 11.

Lead image: Pope Leo XIV photographed by Edgar Beltrán/The Pillar on May 12, 2025, CC BY-SA 4.0. File photo.