Pope Leo XIV Has Lung Surgery; Vatican Says Early Cancer Found

Pope Leo XIV had surgery on Tuesday, Oct. 13, to remove part of his right lung, and the Vatican said doctors found lung cancer at a very early stage.

The operation took place at Gemelli Hospital in Rome, the hospital where popes are traditionally treated. Surgeons removed a lobe of the lung, one of its sections, along with a small growth doctors had been watching, Reuters reported.

The Holy See Press Office, the Vatican's press office, said a rapid laboratory test done during surgery confirmed pulmonary adenocarcinoma, a cancer that starts in gland cells in the lung. The office said the finding matched what doctors had suspected from tests before the operation. Pope Leo has said the nodule was detected at a very early stage and was well-localized.

The pope disclosed the problem himself. In remarks at the Angelus prayer, a regular Sunday blessing from the Vatican, he said recent medical exams had found a small, localized nodule in his lung and that he had decided to have it removed, according to a Vatican transcript.

He kept a normal schedule in the days before the hospital stay. He arrived at Gemelli on Oct. 13 ahead of the procedure, ABC News reported.

The Vatican said the pope spent about three hours in the operating room, with the surgery itself lasting about 90 minutes. The operation was successful with no complications. He woke up normally.

After brief observation, he returned to his room on the hospital's 10th floor. That floor includes a suite long reserved for popes.

Doctors expect him to remain in the hospital for about a week. All of his public events are canceled through Oct. 20, Town & Country reported, citing the Vatican.

For American readers, the pause is straightforward. No public audiences, prayers or meetings will take place during the recovery period. The Vatican has said it will provide updates from the hospital.