Pope Leo XIV lung surgery will take place this week. The 71-year-old pontiff announced on Sunday, October 11, 2026, that he will have an operation to remove a localized nodule in his lung. Notably, he shared the news himself during his weekly Sunday noon blessing in St. Peter’s Square. As a result, the announcement marks the first public health concern of his papacy.
Pope Leo XIV on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on May 8, 2025, after his election. Photo: Edgar Beltrán / The Pillar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
What Pope Leo XIV Said About His Condition
Leo told the crowd that doctors found the nodule “at a very early stage” and described it as “well-localized.” He also explained that his doctors believe intervention is the best course of action. “Following their advice, I have therefore decided to undergo an operation to remove it,” he said, as reported by NPR. He also thanked the faithful for their “spiritual closeness” and said he entrusts himself to their prayers.
Surgery at Gemelli Hospital, About a Week of Recovery
The operation will take place at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, the facility that traditionally cares for popes. Meanwhile, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said the Vatican scheduled the surgery for the first days of the week. He also noted that doctors estimate a post-operative recovery of about one week.
Vatican City and St. Peter’s Square at dusk. Photo: lafiguradelpadre Congreso, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Pope Leo XIV Lung Surgery: What Is a Lung Nodule?
A lung nodule is a small abnormal area, no larger than 3 centimeters, that shows up on a chest CT scan. For example, doctors often spot these growths during routine scans ordered for unrelated reasons. In fact, most lung nodules turn out benign. The American Cancer Society says old infections, scar tissue, or other non-cancerous causes usually explain them. However, physicians order follow-up tests to confirm that a nodule is not cancerous. At this point, the Vatican has not shared any test results about the pope’s nodule, and it has not disclosed whether the growth is cancerous.
What We Know — and What We Still Don’t
| What we know | What we don’t know |
|---|---|
| The pope announced the surgery on Oct. 11, 2026, during his Sunday blessing in St. Peter’s Square. | Whether the nodule is cancerous. The Vatican has not disclosed this. |
| Doctors found the nodule early and describe it as well-localized. | Whether recovery will follow the estimated one-week timeline. |
| The operation is scheduled for the first days of the week at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. | Whether the November trip to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru will change. |
Will the South America Trip Go Ahead?
For now, the pope appears to intend to keep his next major trip on schedule. He is due to visit Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru in early November, with a demanding itinerary of about a dozen flights over 11 days, as the National Catholic Reporter noted. During Sunday’s blessing, for instance, he thanked Peruvian pilgrims “for the pastoral visit I will make to Peru.” Still, it remains unclear whether the surgery or recovery will force any changes to the itinerary.
The First Health Concern of His Papacy
Until Sunday, Leo had no known previous health problems. Elected at 58, he was the youngest pope chosen since St. John Paul II, and he stays active with regular tennis and swimming. By contrast, his predecessor, Pope Francis, died in 2025 after repeated hospitalizations for respiratory illness that affected his ability to speak publicly in his final years. (See our living tribute to the public figures we lost this year.) Public figures have also disclosed health news directly in recent years — Viola Davis, for example, revealed a shingles diagnosis through an awareness campaign.
Pope Leo XIV waves to the crowd in St. Peter’s Square during his first public appearance as pope, May 8, 2025. Photo: INFOWeather1, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Vatican says the Pope Leo XIV lung surgery will happen in the first days of this week, with an estimated recovery of about one week. The Vatican will likely release updates as the situation develops. Until then, the faithful he thanked on Sunday are keeping him in their prayers.
