Pope Leo XIV said Sunday (Oct. 11) that he will have surgery in the coming days to remove a small nodule doctors found in his lung, telling pilgrims in St. Peter's Square that it had been caught early.
The 71-year-old pope made the announcement after leading the weekly Angelus prayer, saying recent medical examinations had revealed the growth, according to Vatican News, the Holy See's official news portal. The operation will take place at Rome's Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic.
Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni told reporters the procedure is set for the first days of the week, with a recovery period of about one week, the BBC reported.
The disclosure comes nearly 18 months after Leo, born Robert Francis Prevost, was elected to succeed Pope Francis. The previous Pope also experienced lung problems that required hospital treatment.
Speaking to the crowd, Leo described the nodule as small and "well-localized." He said his medical team had recommended an operation and that he had accepted their advice.
"The doctors believe that it is best to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it," he said, according to the Vatican News text of his remarks.
He thanked those present for their "spiritual closeness" and said he entrusted himself to their prayers.
Neither the pope nor the Vatican has said what kind of tissue the nodule contains. A lung nodule is described as a small lump of tissue, usually found on a chest X-ray or CT scan, that in most cases causes no other symptoms.
Leo confirmed during Sunday's prayer that his planned November visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru will go ahead.
