Arabic version: البابا لاوون الرابع عشر يعتزم الخضوع لجراحة لعقدة في الرئة

According to BBC News, Pope Leo XIV said he will undergo surgery in the coming days after doctors found an early, well-localised nodule on his lung during a medical check-up.

Speaking during his weekly Sunday prayers in St Peter’s Square in Rome, the 71-year-old pontiff said his medical team believed it would be right to intervene and that he had agreed to the operation. He reassured pilgrims that the mass was well-contained and caught at an early stage, and thanked people for their spiritual closeness, saying he entrusted himself to their prayers.

Holy See Press Office spokesman Matteo Bruni said the operation is scheduled for the first days of next week and that the Pope is expected to take about a week to recover. Vatican News said the procedure will take place at Gemelli Hospital in Rome, where a special Papal suite established after the 1981 attempt on Pope John Paul II’s life remains in use.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed personal solidarity with the Pope, while President Sergio Mattarella wished him a peaceful recovery and a speedy, full return to health. Israeli President Isaac Herzog also wished him a full and speedy recovery. Leo, born Robert Francis Provost, confirmed that his November visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru will still go ahead. Archbishop of Montevideo Daniel Sturla said preparations would continue with greater enthusiasm and called for prayers for the Pope’s recovery.