The Pope has been diagnosed with lung
cancer.

Leo XIV underwent surgery on Tuesday
where doctors removed part of his lung and cancer was
diagnosed.

After the operation, the Vatican
announced that the lower lobe of The Pope’s right lung had been
removed during the procedure and lung adenocarcinoma was
diagnosed.

The Pope, 71, was in surgery for
around 90 minutes and later returned to his hospital room to
recuperate.

A spokesperson for the Vatican
described the procedure as radical and doctors are now checking to
see if the cancer has spread. The Vatican has said that Pope Leo
has no signs of infection and is feeling well in himself.

Following the operation, the Vatican
said ”As planned, the Holy Father underwent thoracic surgery. To
ensure radical resection, the lower lobe of his right lung was
removed using a video assisted technique.”

The statement continued ”An
intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of
lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected from the preoperative
examinations.”

It concluded ”The Holy Father was in
the operating room for approximately three hours; the operation
itself lasted 90 minutes. The operation was successful, and there
were no complications.”

It was The Pope himself who first
revealed that he needed an operation.

During his Sunday address to the
faithful in St. Peter’s Square in Rome, Pope Leo revealed that a
3mm nodule had been found on his lung during a health check and he
needed surgery to investigate further.

Crowds turned out to wish him well as
he was admitted to hospital on Tuesday morning with one of the
staff members waiting to meet him telling him ”we’re here for
you”.

Pope Leo will now rest until 20
October, when his schedule is set to resume.

He has some important trips coming
up, including a visit to Peru during a tour of Latin America in
November. Pope Leo was a missionary in Peru for several years.

Leo XIV was elected Pope in May 2025
following the death of Pope Francis.

He is the first American to be
Pontiff.