On Sunday Pope Leo XIV announced that he will be undergoing surgery to remove a lump found in his lung.
He made this announcement while addressing the congregation during the Sunday Angelus prayer at St. Peters Square in Vatican City.
Pope Leo explained that his doctors had found a localized nodule in his lungs during an examination. The 71 year old Pontiff said the nodule was caught at “a very early stage” and his medical team believes it is best to intervene by performing the surgical procedure to have it removed.
This announcement comes just a year and half after Pope Leo took over from his successor Pope Francis who also suffered from lung issues.
As the current head of the Catholic Church he reassured the faithful in his Sunday message, expressed gratitude for their “spiritual closeness” while asking for their prayers and support.
The Pope is expected to take about a week for recovery according to Holy See Press spokesperson Mateo Bruni.
