Vatican: Pope to undergo surgery due to "knot in the lung"
For one and a half years, Leo XIV has been leading the Catholic Church. So far, he has been considered fit. Now, surprisingly, he announces that he has to undergo an operation. How is he doing?
Vatikan announces that Pope Leo XIV is undergoing lung surgery. During his Sunday prayer before tens of thousands of believers at the Vatican, the head of the Catholic Church unexpectedly revealed that a "node in his lung" had been discovered, indicating an early stage of the condition. It was unclear whether the node was benign, an early stage of cancer, or a malignant tumor.
Given his age of 71, Leo is among the younger popes in the Church's history. No prior health issues had been reported. Leo, whose birth name is Robert Francis Prevost, became the first pontiff from the United States in May of the previous year. As of now, he is the head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. According to Vatican sources, the surgery is set to take place in the next few days at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, where popes traditionally receive treatment.
Leo is expected to need about a week of rest after the operation. The following month, Leo is scheduled to embark on a long trip to South America.
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