Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to undergo lung surgery next week after an early-stage nodule was detected during a routine medical examination. The pontiff made the announcement himself during Sunday prayer in St. Peter\u2019s Square in Rome.<\/p>\n
The 71-year-old pope said his medical team had deemed surgery advisable. He reassured the faithful, explaining that the growth is well-localized and fully under control because it was detected at an early stage.<\/p>\n
According to Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, the surgery is planned for early next week at Rome\u2019s Gemelli Hospital. The hospital has a dedicated suite established following the 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II. The recovery period is expected to last approximately one week.<\/p>\n
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, President Sergio Mattarella, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed their solidarity with the pope and wished him a speedy recovery. Despite the planned medical procedure, the pope\u2019s official November tour of Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru remains scheduled to go ahead.<\/p>\n
From a medical perspective, a pulmonary nodule is a small growth of tissue that is usually asymptomatic and is often detected during chest X-rays or computed tomography (CT) scans.<\/em><\/p>\n Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, is the 267th pope and the first American to hold the office. He assumed leadership of the Vatican approximately a year and a half ago, following the death of Pope Francis.<\/p>\n