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Pope Leo announced Oct. 11 that he will undergo surgery this week after doctors found a “localized nodule” on his lung during a recent medical appointment.
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During his weekly Sunday prayer, the American-born pontiff said in St. Peter’s Square that the growth was “well-contained.”
“The operation is already scheduled for the coming days,” Leo, 71, said in a translation from Italian. “I thank you for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers.”
Papal spokesperson Matteo Bruni said “the operation is scheduled for the first days of this week and the estimated post-operative recovery time will be about one week,” according to Vatican News. The small growth marks the first major health issue Leo has publicly faced in his one-and-a-half-year tenure.
Elected in May 2025, Leo is the first pope ever born in the United States. He is scheduled to trek to South America nearly a month from now: Leo will embark on an 11-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from Nov. 6 through 17.
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Leo has been an outspoken voice for international peace, occasionally clashing with President Donald Trump. He has openly criticized Trump’s ongoing Iran war, including during a four-country African tour in April.
“Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth,” Leo said during his four-country tour of Africa. “It is a world turned upside down, an exploitation of God’s creation that must be denounced and rejected by every honest conscience.”
In response, Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, each criticized the pope, which led to backlash from some in the country’s conservative Catholic community.
Contributing: Reuters, Jeanine Santucci
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pope Leo will undergo surgery to remove nodule from lung
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Reporting by Jay Stahl, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect
This story was originally published October 11, 2026 at 5:12 AM.