Pope Leo is to undergo lung surgery in the coming days to remove a nodular lesion discovered during recent medical checks, after doctors detected it at an early stage.
The 71-year-old pontiff told pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square for his weekly Sunday prayer that the nodule was “well-contained”.
“Recently, during some medical examinations, doctors found a localised nodule in my lung,” Pope Leo said. “It was detected at a very early stage and is well contained.”
He added: “The doctors believe it is advisable to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it.”
The Vatican press office said the Pope’s recovery was expected to take about a week. It was not immediately clear whether the procedure would affect his planned itinerary.
Pope Leo, the American pontiff, has no previously known health problems and is physically active. He plays tennis weekly and swims at the papal summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo.
He is due to begin a major trip on November 6, visiting Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.
