Pope to undergo lung surgery Tuesday

Pope Leo XIV will be admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday to undergo surgery to remove a pulmonary nodule from his lung. The 71-year-old pontiff announced the news during his Sunday noon prayer at St. Peter's Square, stating that the small growth was discovered during recent medical tests. While the Vatican press office described the medical evaluations as routine and denied reports that inflammation had prompted them, the pope noted he was following doctors' advice to have the localized, early-stage lesion removed.

The Vatican expects the hospitalization and recovery period to last approximately one week, though the Holy See press office did not specify exactly when the operation will take place. This marks the first major health event of the pope's 17-month pontificate. According to SABC News, the pope maintained a busy schedule on Monday, holding seven meetings, including sessions with visiting bishops from the United States, Nicaragua, and Argentina.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, CBS News, SABC News, Colombia One, Gulf News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.