Overview
- Pope Leo XIV said Sunday during the Angelus at St. Peter’s Square that doctors discovered a small, well‑localized nodule in his lung and he has agreed to have it removed.
- He described the finding as early stage and clearly delimited, and the Vatican confirmed the operation is planned in the coming days though no exact date was given.
- The Holy See has not released whether the nodule is benign or malignant, and a final diagnosis will depend on pathology after the tissue is removed.
- The timing of the procedure and recovery creates uncertainty about the pope’s scheduled trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6–17 and the Vatican has not yet said if those visits will be changed.
- Leo XIV is 71 and was publicly presented as fit and active since his election last year; the next updates are expected after the surgery and from official medical bulletins reporting test results and a recovery timeline.