Pope Leo says will undergo surgery for small growth on lung

Pope ‌Leo said ​on Sunday that doctors had detected a small growth ‌on his lung during a recent health check and he would be undergoing surgery this week to ‌remove it.

Leo, 71, told pilgrims in St. ‌Peter's Square for his weekly Sunday prayer that the growth was "well-contained" and caught at an early stage. "Recently, during some ⁠medical ​examinations, ⁠doctors found a localized nodule in my lung," said the ⁠pontiff. "It was detected at a very early stage and ​is well contained."

"The doctors believe it is ⁠advisable to intervene, so, following their advice, I have ⁠decided ​to undergo surgery to remove it," he said. "The operation is already scheduled for ⁠the next few days." The Vatican press office said the pope's ⁠recovery ⁠from surgery was expected to take about a week.