VATICAN CITY – During his weekly Sunday Angelus address to thousands of worshippers gathered in St. Peter’s Square this past Sunday, Pope Leo XIV made a public announcement that he will soon undergo surgery to remove a localized nodule detected in one of his lungs.
The 71-year-old leader of the global Catholic Church told the congregation that the growth was identified during a routine medical evaluation, noting that clinicians caught the abnormality at a very early stage of development. After reviewing his case, Pope Leo explained that his dedicated medical team has recommended surgical intervention as the optimal course of action to address the finding.
This public disclosure comes just 18 months after Leo XIV succeeded Pope Francis, a former pontiff who also battled chronic health issues affecting his respiratory system prior to stepping down.
In a reassuring message to the global community of Catholic faithful, the Pope expressed sincere gratitude for the ongoing spiritual support and closeness he has received from believers around the world. He also gently asked followers to continue holding him in their prayers as he prepares for the procedure and enters the post-operative recovery period.
Mateo Bruni, spokesperson for the Holy See Press Office, shared that clinical projections currently estimate the Pope will require approximately one week of recovery time following the surgery, with no further details on the exact date of the procedure released as of Sunday’s address.