Pope Leo XIV hopes to visit Peru in November after lung cancer surgery. (Photo: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer after successful surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, the Vatican said, according to the BBC.
The 71-year-old had a 90-minute operation at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday (13 Oct). Tests confirmed that the growth, first spotted during routine checks, was lung adenocarcinoma. The Vatican said the Pope “awoke normally” from the surgery and returned to his room after a short period of observation.
The Pope announced the operation himself a day earlier, after the Sunday Angelus prayer at St Peter’s Square. He said the growth had been found “at a very early stage.” His schedule has been cleared until 20 Oct.
The news has shaken Catholics around the world, including some of those closest to him. A day before his lung cancer surgery, Pope Leo told a cardinal from Tokyo that he felt “nothing wrong” physically. He chose to have the operation as soon as possible so he could keep his plans to travel to Latin America in early November. More on this in the BBC report, here.
Further tests are being carried out to check whether the cancer has spread.