Pope Leo XIV says he will have surgery to remove lung nodule

Pope Leo XIV said on Sunday, 11 October 2026, that he will undergo surgery to remove a nodule on his lung. Speaking during his weekly address in St Peter's Square at the Vatican, the 71-year-old said the nodule was found during recent medical checks. "It has been detected at a very early stage and is very localized," he said, according to DW.

"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. The Vatican press office said recovery from surgery was expected to take about a week, ABC Australia reported. The Vatican did not say whether the nodule is believed to be malignant, and did not immediately provide further details about the pope's health.

A lung nodule is a small, contained lesion smaller than 3 centimeters (1 inch) that can be benign, according to DW. The American Thoracic Society says fewer than 5% of lung nodules turn out to be cancerous, although ABC Australia reported that the risk rises with age, size and factors such as smoking. The American Cancer Society says nodules sometimes appear on CT scans of the chest or abdomen done for trauma or lung infections unrelated to cancer screening.

Ms Meloni said in a statement that she wanted to express her personal support, and that of the Italian government, "as he faces this challenge in the coming days." She said the "serenity and composure" with which the pope spoke during the Angelus, his Sunday prayer, were reassuring. Before mentioning his health, Leo referred to an 11-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru due from 6-17 November, thanking Catholics for their prayers for the pastoral visit.

DW reported this is Leo's first major health scare since the American became pope in 2025; ABC Australia reported he was elected by the world's cardinals in May 2025. He is not known to be a smoker or to have had previous health issues, and leads a relatively active lifestyle, according to DW. He is younger than most popes: his predecessor Francis was five years older when he took the role, and Benedict XVI was 78 at the start of his tenure. Francis died at age 88.