Pope Leo XIX surgery before Latin America trip!
Vatican City, Oct 11 (EFE).- By Gonzalo Sánchez
Pope Leo XIV will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a lung nodule detected at a very early stage, he announced Sunday, less than a month before his planned visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.
The pontiff disclosed the news from the window of the Apostolic Palace after reciting the Angelus prayer, addressing thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
“During some recent medical examinations, doctors found a localized nodule in my lung. It was detected at a very early stage and is well localized,” he said calmly.
“The doctors believe surgery is appropriate. Following their advice, I have therefore decided to undergo an operation to remove it. The operation is already scheduled for the coming days.”
The announcement was met with applause from the crowd.
“I thank you for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers. Thank you, and have a good Sunday,” he said before waving to the faithful and withdrawing from the window.
About a week of postoperative hospitalization
Leo XIV, the first US-born pope and a Peruvian citizen following years of missionary work and service as a bishop in the Andean country, was elected in May 2025 to succeed Pope Francis. He turned 71 on Sep. 14.
The operation, his first since becoming pope, is scheduled for early next week and is expected to require about a week of postoperative hospitalization, according to the Vatican.
Responding to journalists’ questions, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, specified that “the operation is scheduled for the first days of this week and the estimated post-operative recovery time will be about one week.”
The surgery is scheduled to take place at Rome’s Agostino Gemelli University Hospital, which has maintained a private apartment for the pope since the 1980s, during the pontificate of John Paul II.
‘I will travel to Peru’
The surgery will require Leo XIV to suspend his public engagements while he recovers. It comes less than a month before his planned visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, scheduled for Nov. 6-17.
However, his remarks at Sunday’s Angelus appeared to suggest that the trip to Latin America remains on his agenda.
Shortly before announcing his health news, the pope greeted members of the Brotherhood of the Lord of Miracles in Rome, along with other participants in a procession honoring the image of the crucified Christ, which is deeply revered in Peru.
“I greet the members of the Brotherhood of the Lord of Miracles in Rome and all those who participated in the procession with the revered image of the Crucified One,” he said.
He then thanked them for praying for his upcoming visit to Peru.
“Thank you for your prayers for the pastoral visit I will make to Peru,” he added.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was among the first to react to the announcement, expressing her personal support and that of her government ahead of the pope’s hospitalization.
She also praised the composure with which he had shared the news.
“His serenity and calmness during the Angelus comfort us. I am sure that the Italian people will also give him all their support and affection,” she said. EFE
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