Pontiff reveals at the Angelus that a nodule has been found “at a very early stage”. Mattarella and Meloni send messages of support.Pope Leo XIV announced on Sunday that he will have surgery this week to remove a nodule from his lung, telling pilgrims in St Peter’s Square that it was detected early and is well localised.Speaking at the Angelus, the pope said the nodule was found during recent medical checks and that doctors had advised an operation. “I have therefore decided to undergo an operation to remove it,” he said, adding that it was already scheduled. He thanked the faithful for their “spiritual closeness” and asked for their prayers. The operation will take place at the Policlinico Agostino Gemelli in Rome. Vatican press office director Matteo Bruni said it is planned for the early part of the week, with a post-operative stay of around a week. Avvenire, the daily newspaper of the Italian Bishops' Conference, reported that admission and surgery are likely to be set for Tuesday or Wednesday. Pope Leo, 71, will be treated on the Gemelli’s tenth floor, a secure wing with a dedicated papal apartment that John Paul II jokingly called “Vatican III”. The suite has a bedroom, bathroom, sitting room and a private chapel. Leo has no previously known medical problems and is considered as being in good health. He is physically active, playing tennis and swimming on a weekly basis at the papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo.   The Vatican has not said whether the nodule is cancerous, and the pope did not use the word. Speaking to the Adnkronos news agency, Verona pulmonologist Claudio Micheletto, who is not involved in the pope’s care, said benign nodules are usually monitored rather than removed. He said a localised nodule can often be treated successfully by surgery, with minimally invasive techniques shortening hospital stays. Avvenire reported that the pope’s agenda is unchanged for now, apart from engagements this week. His 12-day trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru in November is still planned, and the paper said he brought the surgery forward to make the journey. Italian president Sergio Mattarella and prime minister Giorgia Meloni were among those sending messages of support, as was Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, head of the Italian bishops’ conference. Leo's predecessor Pope Francis, who died on 21 April 2025 at the age of 88, was admitted to the Gemelli on 14 February 2025 with bronchitis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days in hospital, his longest stay as pope, before returning to the Vatican in March. He had part of a lung removed as a young man in Argentina and suffered recurring respiratory problems. He also had colon surgery at the Gemelli in 2021. Photo credit: Marco Iacobucci Epp / Shutterstock.com

Pope Leo XIV announced on Sunday that he will have surgery this week to remove a nodule from his lung, telling pilgrims in St Peter’s Square that it was detected early and is well localised. Speaking at the Angelus, the pope said the nodule was found during recent medical checks and that doctors had advised an operation. “I have therefore decided to undergo an operation to remove it,” he said, adding that it was already scheduled. He thanked the faithful for their “spiritual closeness” and asked for their prayers. The operation will take place at the Policlinico Agostino Gemelli in Rome. Vatican press office director Matteo Bruni said it is planned for the early part of the week, with a post-operative stay of around a week. Avvenire, the daily newspaper of the Italian Bishops' Conference, reported that admission and surgery are likely to be set for Tuesday or Wednesday. Pope Leo, 71, will be treated on the Gemelli’s tenth floor, a secure wing with a dedicated papal apartment that John Paul II jokingly called “Vatican III”. The suite has a bedroom, bathroom, sitting room and a private chapel. Avvenire reported that the pope’s agenda is unchanged for now, apart from engagements this week. His 12-day trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru in November is still planned, and the paper said he brought the surgery forward to make the journey. Italian president Sergio Mattarella and prime minister Giorgia Meloni were among those sending messages of support, as was Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, head of the Italian bishops’ conference. Leo's predecessor Pope Francis, who died on 21 April 2025 at the age of 88, was admitted to the Gemelli on 14 February 2025 with bronchitis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days in hospital, his longest stay as pope, before returning to the Vatican in March. He had part of a lung removed as a young man in Argentina and suffered recurring respiratory problems. He also had colon surgery at the Gemelli in 2021. Photo credit: Marco Iacobucci Epp / Shutterstock.com