Pope Leo XIV said on Sunday that doctors had found an early, well-localised nodule on his lung, and that he had agreed to undergo an operation. He made the announcement during his weekly Sunday prayers in St Peter’s Square, BBC News reported.
“The doctors found an early, well-localised nodule on my lung,” the Pope said, in words reported by the BBC. His doctors “believe it would be right to intervene”, he said, and he had agreed to the operation. The Guardian described the address as his Sunday noon blessing and reported that he delivered it in Italian.
Holy See Press Office spokesman Matteo Bruni told the media on Sunday that “the operation is scheduled for the first days of next week”, according to the BBC. The press office is the Vatican’s official channel to journalists, and Mr Bruni’s statement put the Pope’s announcement onto a timetable. The Pope is expected to take about a week to recover, the BBC reported.
Vatican News, the Holy See’s own news service, said the operation would take place at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, according to the BBC. The hospital has a papal suite, which the BBC reported was set up after the 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II.
What a Lung Nodule Is
The BBC and the Guardian each turned to a health body to explain the term. The Guardian, citing the American Cancer Society, said a lung nodule is a small abnormal area under 3cm. The BBC, citing the NHS, said most nodules cause no other symptoms. Both are general descriptions of nodules rather than statements about the Pope’s own case. In his own account on Sunday, the Pope described his nodule as early and well-localised.
A Pope With No Known Health Problems
Pope Leo is 71 and, born Robert Francis Prevost, is the first US citizen to become pope, the BBC reported. He succeeded Pope Francis, who died on 21 April 2025, according to the Guardian.
The Guardian reported that he had no previously known health problems and that he plays tennis every week.
Messages of Support
Italian President Sergio Mattarella offered his “sincerest wishes for a peaceful recovery and a speedy and full return to health”, the BBC reported, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog also wished the Pope “a full and speedy recovery”, according to the same outlet.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her support in a statement, the Guardian reported. Her statement spoke of the Pope “as he faces this challenge in the coming days” and of “the serenity and calm with which he spoke about it”, according to the Guardian.
What Happens Next at the Vatican
On the timetable the Vatican gave on Sunday 11 October, the operation at the Gemelli is due in the first days of this week, the Guardian reported, and the Pope is then expected to need about a week to recover, according to the BBC.
Reports differ on the Pope’s planned visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru in November. The BBC reported that he confirmed the trip will still go ahead. The Guardian said it was unclear whether the visit would be affected, but reported that the Pope said he planned to go.
Reports on other stories from Rome and further afield are collected in our International news coverage.
Sources: BBC News, “Pope Leo XIV to have surgery after nodule found on lung”, 11 October 2026 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6m2dnngvw8xo); The Guardian, “Pope Leo to have surgery to remove nodule on his lung”, 11 October 2026 (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/11/pope-leo-surgery-remove-nodule-lung)
Photo: Edgar Beltrán, The Pillar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Pope Leo XIV during an audience with members of the media at the Vatican on 12 May 2025.
