Pope Leo to have surgery after lump found on lung

11 October 2026, 11: 53 BST. Updated 3 hours ago.

Key points

• The hospital set up a special Papal suite after the failed assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II's life in May 1981.
• The Pope, born Robert Francis Prevost, is the 267th occupant of the throne of St Peter – the first US citizen to do so.
• Vatican News, the Holy See's news portal, remarked the operation will take place at Gemelli Hospital in Rome.
• During Sunday's service, the Pope confirmed his upcoming visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru in November will still go ahead.
• Holy See Press Office spokesman Matteo Bruni informed the media that "the operation is scheduled for the first days of next week".

Pope Leo XIV has confirmed he will be operated on "in the coming days" after a nodule was discovered on his lung during a medical check-up.

"The doctors found an early, well-localised nodule on my lung, " he informed the public during his weekly Sunday prayers in St Peter's Square in Rome.

While reassuring pilgrims that the mass was "well-contained" and caught "at an early stage", the 71-year-old remarked his medical team "believe it would be right to intervene" and he had agreed to the operation.

For context, the pontiff's admission that he would need surgery comes almost a year-and-a-half after he succeeded the late Pope Francis. This person additionally experienced problems with his lungs that required hospital treatment.

Leo concluded his Angelus prayer by thanking everyone for their "spiritual closeness" and remarked he entrusted himself to their prayers.

He continued that the Pope is anticipated to take regarding a week to recover.

In practice, the hospital set up a special Papal suite after the failed assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II's life in May 1981. It is still in apply today.

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her "personal solidarity" with the Pope as he "faces the ordeal ahead in the coming days".

Her sentiments were echoed by Italian President Sergio Mattarella. This person offered his "sincerest wishes for a peaceful recovery and a speedy and full return to health".

Isaac Herzog, the president of Israel, additionally wished the pontiff "a full and speedy recovery".

Meanwhile, the Pope, born Robert Francis Prevost, is the 267th occupant of the throne of St Peter – the first US citizen to do so.

He was ordained in 1982 and spent years as a missionary in Peru, where he is remembered as a figure who worked with marginalised communities.

Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Montevideo, Daniel Sturla, remarked preparations for his tour will continue with "greater enthusiasm" as he called on prayers for his recovery.

For context, a lung nodule is a small lump of tissue that is usually detected after an X-ray or CT scan of the chest, according to the NHS. Most nodules do not cause other symptoms.

Taken together, the developments around pope Leo to have surgery after lump found on lung point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.