Pope Leo XIV to undergo lung surgery this week, Vatican says

The 71‑year‑old pontiff disclosed the operation during his Angelus address and said doctors plan to intervene promptly.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sun, 11 Oct 2026 18:36:24 GMT

Pope Leo XIV announced on Sunday that he will undergo surgery this week to remove an early‑stage nodule in his lung, saying the procedure is already scheduled and that recovery should take about a week.

What happened

During his weekly Angelus address in St Peter’s Square, the pope said a "localized nodule" was found in his lung during recent medical checks and that doctors advised immediate intervention. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed the surgery will be performed in the first days of the week at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, which has a special papal apartment. The Vatican press office added that the expected recovery period is roughly one week.

What the reports add

NBC News reported that the Vatican did not specify the type of lung surgery, but noted the nodule was detected early and described possible causes of lung nodules, quoting Dr. Ankit Bharat of Northwestern Medicine on surgical decision‑making. Gulf News echoed the pope’s own words about the nodule being "very localised" and added that the pope is 71 years old and became the first U.S. pope last year. The Independent highlighted that the statement did not indicate whether the surgery would affect the pope’s planned November 7‑16 trip to Latin America, and reiterated the one‑week recovery estimate. Vanity Fair included the Italian prime minister’s statement of solidarity and described the pope’s remarks in Italian during the Angelus.

What was said

"During recent medical checks, a nodule on my lung was found. It has been detected at a very early stage and is very localised," the pope told the crowd, as reported by Gulf News and Vanity Fair.
"The doctors think it is opportune to intervene," he added, according to Vanity Fair.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the operation is planned for the "first days" of the week and that recovery is expected to be about a week, per the Independent.
Dr. Ankit Bharat, chief of thoracic surgery at Northwestern Medicine, told NBC News that proceeding directly to surgery without a biopsy can indicate a higher level of concern on the lung scan.

How it came about

Earlier this year Pope Leo XIV embarked on a high‑profile European tour, including a mass in Paris that drew hundreds of thousands of attendees (Felo coverage). He also met with ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric in Rome on October 9, discussing humanitarian law (Felo coverage). The health announcement follows these diplomatic and pastoral activities, marking the first major medical issue disclosed publicly since his election in 2025.

Key facts

Pope Leo XIV will have lung surgery this week to remove an early‑stage nodule. (gulfnews.com)
The operation is scheduled at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital with a one‑week recovery expected. (independent.co.uk)
The pope announced the news during his Angelus address in St Peter’s Square. (vanityfair.com)
Dr. Ankit Bharat said proceeding directly to surgery can suggest higher concern on the scan. (nbcnews.com)