Pope Leo will have surgery to remove a nodule in his lung. A Villanova medal ceremony remains unclear

Mike Newall, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Oct 11, 2026

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Pope Leo XIV said he would undergo surgery in the coming days so doctors can remove a small growth discovered in his lung. The procedure marks his first major medical issue since becoming the first U.S.-born pontiff last year.

Speaking during his regular Sunday address in St. Peter’s Square, the 71-year-old said doctors had detected the nodule “at a very early stage” and that it was “well localized.” He decided to follow doctors’ recommendations to have it removed. The surgery is expected to take place at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital in the coming days. The pope is expected to require some hospitalization during his weeklong recovery, Vatican officials said.

“Thank you for your spiritual closeness, and I entrust myself to your prayers,” Leo told worshipers.

It is unclear if Pope Leo will still be able to present Villanova University’s inaugural sustainability medal in his name at an international conference in Rome on Tuesday. A Villanova alumnus, Pope Leo is scheduled to bestow the award to Cardinal Michael Czerny, who founded an AIDS network.

Nodules are small, often non-symptomatic, lung lesions that prove cancerous in less than 5% of patients, according to the American Cancer Society. They are often discovered during unrelated screenings. Procedures to remove them are considered routine. The Vatican did not release any further details about the nodule.

Pope Leo XIV is not known to suffer from any serious medical ailments. The physically active pontiff maintains a home gym in his newly renovated papal apartment.

The operation is not expected to affect the pope’s upcoming trip to Latin America in November, Vatican officials said.

The Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal was established earlier this year, inspired in part by Pope Leo’s call to serve the poor and vulnerable, Villanova officials said.

“Care for creation cannot be separated from care for people,” the school said.

Cardinal Czerny, who was born in Czechoslovakia and raised and ordained in Canada, has focused on helping vulnerable people worldwide for decades.

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