Pope Leo the Fourteenth has successfully undergone surgery to remove a small, localised nodule from his lung.
The Vatican disclosed this in a statement issued by the Holy See Press Office on Tuesday evening.
The 71-year-old pontiff underwent the procedure at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital in Rome, hours after arriving at the facility on Tuesday morning, smiling and waving to well-wishers.
According to the Vatican, the operation was completed successfully within the expected time and as planned.
“The procedure was successfully completed, within the expected time and in the planned manner,” the statement said, adding that further information would follow.
The surgery followed the Pope’s announcement during Sunday’s Angelus prayer at the Vatican that doctors had discovered a small, localised nodule in his lung during recent medical examinations.
He said the growth was detected at a very early stage and that his doctors had recommended surgery to remove it.
The pontiff subsequently accepted the medical advice and appealed to Catholics and other faithful around the world to pray for him ahead of the procedure.
His appeal prompted an outpouring of prayers and goodwill messages from Catholic faithful, Christians and people of other faiths across several countries.
The surgery marks Pope Leo the Fourteenth’s first hospitalisation since he became head of the Catholic Church on May 8, 2025.
