Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer, the Vatican said in a statement. The announcement was made following a surgery on Tuesday to remove the lower lobe of his right lung.
An examination confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, which the statement said was “suspected by the pre-operative tests.” The pope was in the operating room for three hours and the surgery itself lasted about 90 minutes. “The operation was successful and there were no complications,” the statement said.
According to the Lung Cancer Foundation of America, lung adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer in the United States and makes up about 40 percent of all lung cancer cases.
The Vatican has not disclosed what stage the cancer was in or whether the pope will undergo further treatment.
On Sunday, the pope announced that he would be undergoing surgery. The pontiff made the announcement while addressing those gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus prayer, as subsequently on social media.
“Dear friends, during some recent medical examinations, the doctors found a small, localized nodule in my lung,” Pope Leo XIV wrote. “It was detected at a very early stage and is well-localised. The doctors believe that it is best to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it. The operation is already scheduled to take place in the coming days.”
Dear friends, during some recent medical examinations, the doctors found a small, localized nodule in my lung. It was detected at a very early stage and is well-localized. The doctors believe that it is best to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it. The operation is already scheduled to take place in the coming days. I thank you for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers.
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— Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex) October 11, 2026
He added, “I thank you for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers.” At the time, it wasn’t revealed whether or not the nodule was cancerous.
The Vatican said in a previous statement that Pope Leo XIV will spend an additional week spent recovering in the hospital, likely Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, which has a special apartment for the pope. The Vatican will function as usual during that time, but decisions needing the pope’s input or signature will be put on hold.
The pope is scheduled to embark on a trip to South America on Nov. 6, visiting Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru over the course of 11 days; it’s unclear whether the pope’s surgery and recovery will postpone that trip.
This article was updated on Oct. 13 at 10:26 p.m. ET to include news of Pope Leo XIV’s diagnoses.
From Rolling Stone US
