Pope Leo says he’s getting surgery to remove a lump on his lung

Pope Leo XIV announced on Sunday that he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a localized nodule found on his lung. During his weekly address at St. Peter’s Square, the 71-year-old pontiff stated that the mass was discovered during recent medical checks and was detected at a very early stage. He told pilgrims that his medical team believed it was right to intervene and that he had agreed to the operation.

According to KahawaTungu, Holy See Press Office spokesperson Matteo Bruni stated the operation is scheduled for the first days of next week, with an expected recovery period of approximately one week. GBC Ghana reported that the surgery will take place at Gemelli Hospital.

The Chicago-born Pope, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, became the first American pope in 2025 following the death of Pope Francis. Daily Post Nigeria noted that Leo was elected head of the Catholic Church on May 8, 2025.

Brief written by urgent.news from Toronto Sun, KahawaTungu, Daily Post Nigeria, GBC Ghana, France 24 — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.