The head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pop Leo XIV, will undergo surgery to remove small nodule from his lungs. A lung nodule is a round-shaped and solid tissue in the lung.
The pope made the announcement on Sunday, October 11, while addressing worshippers at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City. According to the 71-year-old, the health issue was discovered by his doctors early enough and they immediately recommended that the thickened tissue be removed.
“The doctors consider it appropriate to intervene and so, following their advice, I decided to have surgery to remove it,” he said. “The surgery is already scheduled for the next few days. I thank you for your spiritual closeness and I rely on your prayer.”
Vatican spokesperson, Matteo Bruni, said the Pontiff is expected to undergo the surgery at the “Pope’s Hospital,” a nickname for the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, according to Fox News. After the surgery, the Pope will be hospitalized for at least one week.
The health concern comes as the Pope is expected to visit several South American countries between November 6 and 17, including Argentina, Peru and Uruguay. The Vatican hopes that his recovery process will be quick and not affect his travel plans.
Meanwhile, during the announcement, Pope Leo also urged for more effort to end the Russia-Ukraine war that has been on since 2022. He said the war, which was started by Russia, has continued to inflict sufferings on Ukrainians and on people beyond Ukraine.
“The war in the martyred Ukraine continues to create suffering, even beyond its borders, especially in the poorest countries, where many people depend on the exports of cereals and grains,” the pope said.