Pope Leo says he’s getting surgery to remove a lump on his lung

Nodule detected at a very early stage, pontiff says

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Published Oct 11, 2026  •  2 minute read

Pope Leo XIV waves to faithful during the Angelus prayer from the window of the Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter's Square, in the Vatican, on Oct. 11, 2026. Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE /AFP via Getty Images

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Sunday announced he would have an operation “in the coming days” for a lump on his lung, saying it had been located “at a very early stage.”

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“During recent medical checks, a nodule on my lung was found. It has been detected at a very early stage and is very localized,” the 71-year-old said in a weekly address in St. Peter’s Square.

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“The doctors believe it would be right to intervene and so, following their advice, I have decided to have the operation to remove it. The operation is already planned in the coming days,” he said.

Following the pope’s statement during his Angelus prayers, the Vatican press office said the pontiff was expected to have surgery in the next few days, and the expected recovery time from the operation would be around one week.

The operation was to take place in the Gemelli hospital in Rome, which has frequently treated popes since John Paul II.

No information has been given as to whether the surgery and recovery would affect the pope’s agenda for international trips. He is next due to go to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru between November 6 and 17.

Italian PM reacts to news

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement that the “calmness with which he spoke during today’s Angelus reassures us.”

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She expressed to the pope her “personal closeness, and that of the Italian government, as he confronts this ordeal of the coming days.”

Chicago-born Leo became the first US pope last year following the death of his Argentine predecessor Francis on April 21, 2025 at the age of 88.

Leo was elected leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics on May 8, 2025.

The former Robert Francis Prevost, while less ebullient than his predecessor, has gradually imprinted his style on the leadership of the Catholic Church, finding his voice as he takes on some of the world’s most pressing issues, from bloody conflicts to artificial intelligence.

After the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran in February, the pope became a high-profile critic of the conflict.

He condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Iran as “truly unacceptable” and urged Americans to demand that U.S. lawmakers “work for peace.”

Trump slammed the pontiff as “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy” — to which Leo replied that he had a “moral duty to speak out.”

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