In a public address delivered during his weekly Sunday Angelus prayer in Rome’s St. Peter’s Square, 71-year-old Pope Leo XIV has confirmed he will undergo surgery in the first week of next month to remove an early-stage, well-localized lung nodule detected during a routine medical examination.
The pontiff told gathered pilgrims that his medical care team has recommended surgical intervention as the appropriate next step, and he has consented to the procedure. Moving quickly to ease public concern, he emphasized that the growth is fully contained and caught at a very early stage of development. This upcoming operation comes roughly 18 months after Leo XIV succeeded the late Pope Francis, who previously required hospital care for his own lung-related health issues.
Matteo Bruni, spokesman for the Holy See Press Office, confirmed to reporters that the procedure is scheduled for the opening days of next week, with the pontiff expected to require approximately one week of recovery time following the surgery. According to Vatican News, the Holy See’s official media outlet, the operation will take place at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, a facility that has maintained a specially designed private Papal suite since 1981, when the space was created after the failed assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II, and it remains in active use for papal medical care today.
News of the Pope’s upcoming procedure has drawn messages of support and well-wishes from global leaders. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni extended her personal solidarity to the pontiff as he prepares for the procedure, with Italian President Sergio Mattarella echoing that sentiment, offering his sincerest wishes for a smooth recovery and a full, rapid return to full health. Israeli President Isaac Herzog also joined in extending hopes for a complete and speedy recovery for the Pope.
Born Robert Francis Prevost, Pope Leo XIV made history as the first United States citizen to hold the role of Bishop of Rome, becoming the 267th occupant of the Throne of St Peter. Ordained to the priesthood in 1982, he spent decades serving as a missionary in Peru, where he built a reputation as a dedicated advocate working alongside marginalized communities.
In a notable announcement Sunday, the Pope confirmed that his planned pastoral tour of Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, scheduled for November, will move forward as originally planned. Daniel Sturla, Archbishop of Montevideo, responded that preparations for the papal visit would continue with even greater enthusiasm, while urging Catholic communities across the region to offer prayers for the pontiff’s swift and uncomplicated recovery.
For context, the UK’s National Health Service notes that lung nodules are small, abnormal growths of tissue that typically do not cause noticeable symptoms, and are most often found incidentally during routine chest CT scans or X-rays.