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Pope Leo XIV announced on Sunday that he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a small nodule found on his lung during recent medical checks. Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square for the Sunday Angelus prayer, the 71-year-old pontiff said the nodule was detected at a very early stage and is well-localized, and that his doctors advised having it removed. It is the first significant health issue the American-born pope has faced publicly since his election in May 2025.
What the pope and the Vatican said
Delivering his remarks in Italian, Leo told the crowd that doctors had found the nodule during a routine check-up and recommended an operation. He said the surgery was already scheduled for the coming days, thanked the faithful for their closeness, and asked for their prayers. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni later added detail: the procedure is set for the first days of this week, with an expected hospital stay of about one week for recovery. The surgery is expected to take place at Rome's Gemelli hospital, the facility that has treated popes for decades and maintains a dedicated apartment for pontiffs. During the pope's recovery, the Vatican will continue to function normally, though decisions requiring his personal signature will be placed on hold.
A healthy pope, until now
Leo has had no previously known health problems and is considered physically active for his age — he plays tennis weekly and swims at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. That makes Sunday's announcement all the more striking: the first pope ever born in the United States, roughly a year and a half into his tenure, facing his first hospital stay as pontiff. The news inevitably recalls his predecessor: Pope Francis died on April 21, 2025, of a stroke following a long hospitalization brought on by a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. Francis had suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man — a very different medical history from Leo's.
What happens to the schedule
The immediate question is the calendar. The pope had been due to lead the closing Mass on Wednesday, October 14, of a Vatican meeting on the family marking the tenth anniversary of "Amoris Laetitia" — it is unclear whether the surgery will come before or after that engagement. Bigger still is the major trip planned for November 6–17: an eleven-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, his most ambitious journey yet. Leo told the crowd on Sunday that he still plans to go, and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni publicly offered her support as he faces the operation. For now, the Vatican's message is one of calm routine: a small, early, well-contained finding, a scheduled procedure, and a pope who chose to tell the world himself.
Follow Global Insight for updates on the pope's surgery and recovery.