Listen to this articleDear 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated using AI-based technology. Pronunciation errors may occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve results. Pope Leo announced on Sunday that he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a nodular lesion in his lung that was recently discovered during medical checks. The Pope, 71, said the nodule was found at an early stage and was “circumscribed,” or localized. The Vatican later said Leo would undergo surgery in the first few days of the week, with an expected recovery time of a week. The American pope made the announcement during his Sunday noon blessing. He thanked the crowd for their closeness and entrusted himself to their prayers. A lung nodule is a small abnormal area measuring less than three centimeters that sometimes shows up on a CT scan of the chest or abdomen, according to the American Cancer Society. Scans are often done to investigate lung trauma or infection, which are not related to a lung cancer screening test. Leo, elected Pope by the world’s cardinals in May 2025, is relatively young for a Church leader. He has no previously known health problems and is considered physically active, with weekly tennis and swimming matches at the papal summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo. The Pope has planned an important trip from November 6 to 17 to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. It’s unclear whether the planned surgery and recovery would affect the itinerary, but Leo previously said in his comments on Sunday that he planned to go.WATCH | Pope Leo called for greater oversight of AI this spring: ‘Artificial intelligence needs to be dismantled’: Pope Leo writes Pope Leo is calling on governments and tech giants to slow the deployment of artificial intelligence systems as part of the first encyclical of his papacy. Encyclicals are published documents that are often considered the position of the Catholic Church on a variety of topics. In his first, titled Magnifica Humanitas, Leo warns that the current pace of AI adoption could lead to more wars and conflicts. In his comments, delivered in Italian, Leo said during a recent medical check-up: “The doctors found a small nodule located in my lung. It was detected at a very early stage and is circumscribed. The doctors believe that it is better to act, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it.” “The surgery is already scheduled for the next few days. Thank you. I thank you for your spiritual support and I entrust myself to your prayers,” he said. Before mentioning his health problem in his speech on Sunday, the Pope referred to the trip, thanking Catholics for their prayers “for the pastoral visit that I will carry out.” Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, died on April 21, 2025 of a stroke after a long hospitalization caused by a respiratory crisis that turned into double pneumonia. Francis suffered from a chronic lung disease and had part of his lung removed when he was young. Leo is expected to undergo surgery at the Gemelli hospital in Rome, where Francis and the popes before him were treated and where there is a special apartment for pontiffs. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one of the few people who visited Francis during his long last hospitalization, expressed her support, and that of the Italian government, for Leo “as he faces this challenge in the coming days.” The serenity and calmness with which he discussed the matter” were reassuring. A lung nodule is a small, localized lesion that may be benign. The American Thoracic Society says that fewer than 5 percent of lung nodules overall turn out to be cancerous, although the risk increases with age, size and other factors.
