Pope Leo to undergo surgery to remove lung nodule
October 12, 2026
At the conclusion of his October 11 Angelus address, Pope Leo XIV revealed that “during some recent medical examinations, the doctors found a small, localized nodule in my lung.”
“It was detected at a very early stage and is well-localized,” Pope Leo said to the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “The doctors believe that it is best to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it.”
“The operation is already scheduled to take place in the coming days,” the Pontiff added. “I thank you for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers.”
Matteo Bruni, the director of the Holy See Press Office, later said that the “operation is scheduled for the first days of this week and the estimated post-operative recovery time will be about one week.”
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
- Angelus (Dicastery for Communication - Vatican Media, 10/11/26)
- Pope Leo: I will undergo surgery soon to remove nodule in my lung (Vatican News, 10/11/26)
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
