Pope Leo announced that he will undergo surgery to remove a nodule from his lung. The pontiff made the announcement during his weekly Sunday prayer and blessing in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, UNN reports, citing Sky News.
Details
During the “Angelus” prayer, which pilgrims listened to in the square, Leo said: “Recently, during a medical examination, doctors discovered a clearly defined nodule in my lung; it was detected at a very early stage and is clearly localized. Doctors consider intervention advisable, so, following their advice, I decided to undergo surgery to remove it. The procedure has already been scheduled for the coming days. Thank you, and I entrust myself to your prayers.”
The Vatican statement said: “The operation will take place at the beginning of next week. Postoperative recovery will last about a week.”
The pope, who is originally from the United States, had no known health problems previously; he leads an active lifestyle, including playing tennis and swimming weekly at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo.
A major two-week trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru is scheduled for the 71-year-old pontiff in November. It is not currently known whether the planned surgery and recovery period will affect this schedule.
His predecessor, the late Pope Francis, died at the age of 88; in the final years of his life, he was physically very frail.
Commenting on the news, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said: “I want to express my personal support to the Holy Father, as well as the support of the Italian government, ahead of the trial that awaits him in the coming days. The calm and composure with which he spoke about it during today’s Angelus prayer inspire hope. I am convinced that the Italian people will also express their unwavering support and affection for him.”