Pope Leo XIV announced on Sunday that he is scheduled to undergo surgery later this week to remove a nodule on his lung. The 71-year-old pontiff shared the news during his weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.
“During recent medical checks, a nodule on my lung was found. It has been detected at a very early stage and is very localised,” Pope Leo said. He explained that medical professionals advised intervention, and following their counsel, he has agreed to proceed with the operation in the coming days.
This marks the first significant health challenge for the American-born pope, who assumed office in 2025. Medical experts note that a lung nodule is a small lesion under 3 centimeters in size. According to the American Thoracic Society, fewer than 5% of such nodules are cancerous. The American Cancer Society adds that these growths are often discovered incidentally during CT scans performed for unrelated issues, such as trauma or infections.
Pope Leo is notably younger than several of his recent predecessors. He is five years junior to Pope Francis, who was 76 when he became pope, and significantly younger than Pope Benedict XVI, who was 78 at the start of his tenure. The pontiff has no known history of prior health issues and maintains an active lifestyle.
Interesting that he’s only 71 when elected. Do you think his relative youth played a role in the Church selecting him this time?
Glad to hear it was caught early. Statistics show most lung nodules are benign anyway, so hopefully it’s nothing serious.