The Pope has been diagnosed with lung cancer.
Leo XIV underwent surgery on Tuesday where doctors removed part of his lung and cancer was diagnosed.
After the operation, the Vatican announced that the lower lobe of The Pope’s right lung had been removed during the procedure and lung adenocarcinoma was diagnosed.
The Pope, 71, was in surgery for around 90 minutes and later returned to his hospital room to recuperate.
A spokesperson for the Vatican described the procedure as radical and doctors are now checking to see if the cancer has spread. The Vatican has said that Pope Leo has no signs of infection and is feeling well in himself.
Following the operation, the Vatican said ”As planned, the Holy Father underwent thoracic surgery. To ensure radical resection, the lower lobe of his right lung was removed using a video assisted technique.”
The statement continued ”An intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected from the preoperative examinations.”
It concluded ”The Holy Father was in the operating room for approximately three hours; the operation itself lasted 90 minutes. The operation was successful, and there were no complications.”
It was The Pope himself who first revealed that he needed an operation.
During his Sunday address to the faithful in St. Peter’s Square in Rome, Pope Leo revealed that a 3mm nodule had been found on his lung during a health check and he needed surgery to investigate further.
Crowds turned out to wish him well as he was admitted to hospital on Tuesday morning with one of the staff members waiting to meet him telling him ”we’re here for you”.
Pope Leo will now rest until 20 October, when his schedule is set to resume.
He has some important trips coming up, including a visit to Peru during a tour of Latin America in November. Pope Leo was a missionary in Peru for several years.
Leo XIV was elected Pope in May 2025 following the death of Pope Francis.
He is the first American to be Pontiff.
