Updated October 11, 2026 at 6:41 PM EDT
Pope Leo XIV announced Sunday that he would have surgery this week to remove a "localized nodule" in his lung.
Leo said the nodule was found at a "very early stage" with doctors recommending surgery.
"Following their advice, I have therefore decided to undergo an operation to remove it," Leo said during his weekly Sunday noon blessing in St. Peter's Square.
The surgery will take place at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, which is the primary location for popes to receive medical attention.
"I thank you for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers," Leo said to the crowds on Sunday. He later posted the message about his surgery on social media.
According to the American Cancer Society, a lung nodule is a small abnormal area, less than or equal to 3 cm, found during a CT scan of the chest or abdomen. These tests are often conducted as routine screenings for "trauma, heart disease, non-cancer related lung disease, or lung infection."
Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, a pulmonary physician at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said lung nodules are common in older adults.
"The majority of lung nodules are benign," Galiatsatos said. "I usually call them the lungs' wrinkles"
When they're discovered, doctors will test them to determine whether there is cause for concern.
"If they're now discussing that they need to remove the lung nodule, one of his tests must have crossed their threshold … and the suspicion and concern for cancer became a little bit higher," Galiatsatos said. "So that's why he's undergoing this surgery."
Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said in a statement that "the operation is scheduled for the first days of this week and the estimated post-operative recovery time will be about one week."
Leo's next major international trip is scheduled for early November to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. It's unclear if the surgery would affect his itinerary.
During his papacy, Leo has been outspoken about peace throughout the world. He spent part of his Sunday address renewing calls for peace in Ukraine.
"I make a heartfelt appeal to the parties to the conflict to allow the safe transport of grain across the Black Sea," Leo said. "The daily bread of millions of people cannot be held hostage by war."
On Saturday, the Pope also called for the death penalty to be abolished, saying on X that it is "inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person."
"The common good can be safeguarded and the requirements of justice can be met without recourse to capital punishment: effective systems of detention have been developed that protect citizens while at the same time do not completely deprive those who are guilty of the possibility of redemption," Leo said.
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