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Pope Leo XIV undergoes surgery to remove lung nodule

Pope Leo XIV undergoes surgery to remove lung nodule

Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery on Tuesday to remove a small growth from his lung, with the Vatican saying the operation concluded successfully. His appointments have been cancelled until 20 October, and the Vatican had estimated recovery would take about a week.

Published 7 days ago
  • africanews.comPope Leo XIV to have surgery to remove lung nodule
  • bbc.comPope admitted to hospital for surgery to remove lump on his lung
  • theguardian.comPope Leo admitted to hospital for operation to remove growth on lung
africanews.com

Operation completed

Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery at Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Tuesday to remove a small growth from his lung. The Vatican said the operation concluded “successfully, on schedule and as planned” and that he had returned to his room.

The 71-year-old pontiff announced on Sunday that doctors had found the nodule during a checkup. He described it as detected at a very early stage and well-contained, and said he had accepted their advice to have it removed.

Recovery and travel plans

All of Leo’s appointments have been cancelled until 20 October. Before the operation, the Vatican estimated that recovery would take around one week.

Leo is scheduled to visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from 6 to 17 November. Cardinal Kikuchi Tarcisio Isao of Tokyo, who met him on Monday, said the pope wanted surgery as soon as possible because he was keen to keep his Latin American travel plans. The sources do not confirm whether the operation will affect the trip.

Prayers and reassurance

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the announcement had come “like a bolt out of the blue”, but described Leo as serene and expressed confidence in his recovery. Catholics gathered outside Gemelli hospital also spoke of their concern and said they would pray for him.

Archbishop Daniel Sturla of Montevideo urged prayers for a speedy recovery and continued preparations for the Uruguay visit. Argentina’s bishops’ conference also called for prayers, while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sent messages of support.

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