Pope Leo XIV to have surgery in 'coming days' to remove nodule in lung

Pope Leo XIV disclosed on Sunday that he is set to undergo surgery in the upcoming days to remove a nodule from his lung, the 71-year-old pontiff announced during his weekly address in St. Peter's Square. The nodule, detected during recent checkups, was found to be in an early stage and well-localized, according to the Pope. He decided to undergo the surgery and confirmed that the procedure is already scheduled for the coming days, with the operation to take place at Rome's Gemelli University Hospital.

The Vatican press office reported that the expected recovery time is around one week, with the procedure scheduled to occur early in the week. Born in Chicago, Leo ascended to the papacy in 2025 following the passing of his predecessor, Francis. The American Lung Association notes that lung nodules are small masses of dense tissue that can be identified on chest X-rays or CT scans.

While most nodules are benign, some may be cancerous, and further tests are often conducted to determine the nature of the nodule, including imaging scans, biopsies, and blood tests. This story is developing, and further updates will be provided.