Pope Leo XIV to Undergo Surgery for Lung Nodule
The Vatican says the procedure is set for the first days of the coming week, with recovery estimated at about seven days. It is the first health problem since the pope was elected in May 2025.
Pope Leo XIV told the crowd in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, October 11, 2026, that he faces surgery in the coming days: doctors found a nodule on his lung. Speaking from a window of the Apostolic Palace at the end of the midday Angelus prayer, the 71-year-old pontiff disclosed what is the first health problem since he was elected head of the Catholic Church in May 2025.
What did the pope tell the faithful?
He delivered the news himself, in his own words, without a statement from the Vatican:
“Recently, during some medical examinations, doctors discovered a localized nodule on my lungs. It was found at a very early stage and is well contained.”
He explained his decision to have the procedure by pointing to medical advice:
“The doctors believe it is best to act, so, on their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it.”
He added that the “operation is already scheduled for the next few days,” thanked the faithful for their support with the words “I entrust myself to your prayers,” and wished them a happy Sunday.
What is known about the surgery, and what is not?
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the operation is scheduled for the first days of the new week and that recovery is estimated at about a week. The Vatican has not said when the pope will be admitted to hospital, or whether the nodule is suspected to be malignant. U.S. network CBS reports that treatment is expected at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, which has a suite reserved for the pope.
Canada’s The Globe and Mail notes a figure from the American Thoracic Society: fewer than five percent of lung nodules turn out to be cancer overall, though the risk rises with age, nodule size and other factors such as smoking. The pope is not known to be a smoker.
South America trip in question
A planned trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, scheduled for November 6 to 17, is now in doubt. The Vatican has not said whether the surgery and recovery will affect the schedule, but earlier in the same address the pope mentioned that he intends to make the pastoral journey.
Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, is the first pope from the United States. He had no publicly known health problems before now, plays tennis once a week and swims at the summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. His predecessor, Francis, died on April 21, 2025, of a stroke, after a long hospitalization for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.
Support from Rome and a message on Ukraine
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni publicly said:
“The calm and composure with which he spoke about it during today’s Angelus prayer are reassuring.”
In the same address, before the health news, the pope called for an end to the war in Ukraine and for the safe passage of grain across the Black Sea. “The daily bread of millions of people must not be held hostage to war,” he said.
