Pope Leo XIV announced on Sunday that he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a nodular lesion on his lung. The small growth was discovered during recent medical checks.
The 71-year-old pontiff stated during an address at St. Peter's Square that the nodule was detected at a very early stage and is circumscribed and well localized. The Vatican indicated that the surgery will take place in the first days of this week, with a recovery time expected to take one week.
This incident marks the first health scare of the American pope's tenure. He is known to be physically active and has no previously known health problems. The Vatican did not say whether the nodule is believed to be malignant.