Pope Leo has been diagnosed with lung cancer following successful surgery at a Rome hospital. The Vatican confirmed that the 71-year-old pontiff underwent an operation to remove the lower lobe of his right lung after doctors discovered a small nodule during routine checks.
Surgeons at Agostino Gemelli University Hospital performed the procedure using a video-assisted technique. The operation lasted around 90 minutes and was completed without any complications. Professor Stefano Margaritora, who led the team, explained that the surgery aimed to fully remove the affected area. Tissue tests during the procedure confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, a common type of lung cancer.
Pope Leo had shared the news himself during Sunday’s Angelus address. He told the faithful that the nodule was found at a very early stage and remained well localised. Following medical advice, he decided to go ahead with the operation. On Tuesday he travelled from the Vatican to the hospital in a black SUV, waving to well-wishers along the way.
Doctors expect the Pope to stay in hospital for about a week. All of his public engagements have been cancelled until 20 October. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle will lead the Mass in St Peter’s Square that was originally scheduled for Wednesday. The Vatican has not yet said whether the planned November visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru will go ahead as scheduled.
Born Robert Prevost in Chicago in 1955, Pope Leo was elected in May 2025. Before becoming the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, he spent many years as a missionary and bishop in Peru. He has spoken openly in the past about an earlier health scare, recalling a severe bout of typhoid fever in 1985 that left him asking God to end his suffering. He later saw his recovery as a sign that more work still lay ahead.
The latest medical bulletin did not give further details about the spread of the disease or any additional treatment that might be required. For now the focus remains on the Pope’s recovery after a procedure that doctors describe as successful and curative. Catholics around the world continue to offer prayers for his swift return to full health.
