Pope Leo sticks to normal schedule ahead of surgery to remove lung nodule

Pope Leo ​is maintaining his regular schedule ‌on Monday ​as he awaits surgery to remove a small growth found on one of his lungs, the ‌Vatican said. Leo, 71, said on Sunday that the growth, a small nodule, had been found on a recent check-up, was "well-contained" and had been spotted early.

The nodule ‌was found during a routine health check, the Vatican press office ‌confirmed on Monday. Leo, elected pope by the world's cardinals in May 2025, is relatively young for a Church leader. He enjoys sports, including tennis, and is not known to ⁠be a ​smoker or to previously ⁠have had health issues.

The pope said on Sunday he would undergo surgery this ⁠week. The Vatican has not said what day the surgery will take place, but said ​the pope's recovery is expected to take about a week. Leo, who ⁠keeps a busy schedule as leader of the 1.4-billion-member Church, has several public appointments ⁠on his ​calendar for this week, including a Mass in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday morning.

Wednesday's Mass has not been canceled, as of Monday morning. A ⁠nodule on the lung is a small, localised lesion that can be benign. ⁠The American Thoracic ⁠Society says fewer than 5% of lung nodules overall prove cancerous, although risk rises with age, size, and other ‌factors such ‌as smoking.