Pope Leo to undergo surgery to remove lung nodule in Rome

Vatican officials expect a one-week hospital recovery for the 71-year-old religious leader ahead of his scheduled Latin America tour. Save Share Pope Leo XIV is to undergo surgery to remove a lung nodule, the Vatican has announced. The 71-year-old leader of the Catholic Church will enter Rome’s Gemelli Hospital late on Tuesday morning for the procedure, which is expected to require about a week of inpatient recovery and has forced the cancellation of upcoming papal audiences. During his weekly blessing in St Peter’s Square onSunday, Leo told pilgrims that a small nodule was found on his left lung during a routine checkup and said it was “well-contained” and had been spotted early. “The doctors believe it’s best to take action, so, following their advice, I’ve decided to have surgery to remove it,” he said during remarks delivered in Italian. Later, the Vatican said a week of recovery time is expected after Leo’s surgery, and his audiences have been cancelled until October 20. Spokespeople did not clarify whether the nodule is believed to be malignant. The pope has no reported history of serious illness and is considered physically active, routinely swimming and playing tennis. The upcoming surgery comes ahead of an official Latin Americatourscheduled for November 6–17, with stops planned across Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. Whether the operation and subsequent recovery will force changes to the itinerary remains unclear, though the pontiff told reporters on Sunday that he intends to make the journey. The late Pope Francis, Leo’s predecessor,diedat age 88. Francis was hospitalised several times and grew frail in his later years. He did not usually announce his hospital visits in advance, sometimes sparking intense media speculation about hishealth. Follow Al Jazeera English: