The Vatican announced on October 11 that Pope Leo XIV will undergo surgery to remove a nodule from his lung. The 71-year-old pontiff is expected to be admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital late Tuesday morning for the procedure, with an in-hospital recovery period of about one week, prompting the cancellation of his upcoming audiences.
During his weekly blessing in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV said a small nodule had been discovered in his left lung during a routine check-up. He said the nodule was "well localized" and caught early.
"The doctors believe it is best to deal with it, so following their advice, I have decided to have surgery to remove it," the pope said in St. Peter's Square, speaking in Italian.
The Vatican later said that about a week of recovery is expected after Pope Leo XIV's surgery and that his audiences have been canceled through October 20.
A spokesman did not clarify whether the lung nodule is believed to be malignant.
The pope has no recorded history of serious illness and is regarded as physically active, regularly swimming and playing tennis.
The upcoming surgery comes before an official trip to Latin America planned for November 6 to 17, with stops scheduled in Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.
It remains unclear whether the operation and subsequent recovery will force changes to the schedule, though the pope told reporters on Sunday that he intends to make the trip.
Pope Francis, Leo XIV's predecessor, died at the age of 88. Francis was hospitalized repeatedly and grew frail in his later years. He often gave no advance notice of his hospitalizations, sometimes fueling intense media speculation about his health.
