Pope to undergo surgery to remove ‘small, localized lump’ in lung 

In a surprise announcement, Pope Leo XIV said today that he will go into the hospital “in the coming days” to undergo surgery to remove a nodule, or “a small, localized lump,” in his lung, “at an early stage.” 

He broke the news at midday on Sunday, Oct. 11, when greeting thousands of Romans and pilgrims from many countries from the papal study window on the third floor of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace. They had gathered in St. Peter’s Square to pray the midday Angelus with him and receive his blessing.

“The doctors found a small, localized lump in my lung at an early stage,” the 71-year-old pope said. “They believe it is best to take action, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it. The surgery is already scheduled for the coming days.”

Almost immediately after the announcement, responding to questions from the media, Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, said, “I can confirm that the surgery is scheduled for the first days of the coming week and that the expected length of the postoperative hospital stay is about one week.”

When asked by America for her opinion, Dr. Annalisa Bilotta of the Salvator Mundi International Hospital in Rome said, “based on the announcement he made, everything is already scheduled. So I imagine the necessary tests and examinations have already been carried out in preparation for the surgery, and I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that he might be admitted as early as tomorrow. We’ll see.”

She expressed considerable optimism regarding the possibility that Pope Leo might make his first trip to Latin America on Nov. 6-17. “Unlike Francis, Pope Leo is younger; he’s in good health, he plays sports, so I think this shouldn’t preclude the trip,” she said. 

According to ANSA, the main Italian news agency,  Vatican sources (not named) suggested that the surgery was likely moved up precisely to avoid having to cancel the trip.

The website of the American Lung Association explains, “A lung nodule is a small mass of dense tissue on the lung. On a chest X-ray or CT scan, it looks like a white spot.” It adds, “Most lung nodules are benign, meaning not cancerous,” and that doctors, after taking into consideration the results of tests and the overall health of the patient, will decide the steps to be taken.