Overview
- Pope Leo XIV announced on Sunday that doctors found a small, well-localized nodule on his lung and he has agreed to have it surgically removed in the coming days.
- The Holy See press office, through spokesman Matteo Bruni, said the operation is scheduled for the first days of the week and the pope’s post-operative hospital stay is expected to be about one week.
- The Vatican has not said whether the nodule is cancerous and reporters note the procedure is both diagnostic and potentially curative because only pathology after removal can confirm malignancy.
- News outlets report the pope is expected to be treated at Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, the hospital traditionally used for papal care, and leaders including Italy’s prime minister offered public support.
- Most lung nodules are benign or caused by infection or scarring and early surgical removal is common when a lesion is accessible, but the outcome will determine if further treatment or changes to his November 6–17 itinerary are needed.