Pope Leo XIV to Undergo Surgery for Lung Nodule
Pope Leo XIV has recently announced his plan to undergo surgery in the coming week to address a “localized nodule” found in his lung. The announcement was made during the Pope’s weekly blessing at St. Peter’s Square, where he shared that the nodule was detected at an early stage.
The Pope stated, “Following their advice, I have therefore decided to undergo an operation to remove it,” as advised by his medical team. The procedure is set to take place at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, a well-known medical facility for papal healthcare.
Despite this upcoming surgery, there have been no previous reports of health issues for Pope Leo. He expressed gratitude for the support, saying, “I thank you for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers.”
The American Cancer Society defines a lung nodule as a small abnormal area that measures less than or equal to 3 cm. These nodules are typically discovered during CT scans of the chest or abdomen, often part of routine screenings for conditions like trauma or non-cancer-related lung diseases.
While most lung nodules are benign, further tests are required to determine if they are cancerous. The American Cancer Society notes, “These nodules are more often the result of old infections, scar tissue, or other causes.” The Vatican has not disclosed whether the nodule in Pope Leo’s lung is cancerous.
Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni released a statement mentioning that “the operation is scheduled for the first days of this week and the estimated post-operative recovery time will be about one week.”
The Pope’s upcoming international journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru in early November might be affected by the surgery, although no official changes have been confirmed.
Beyond his health, Pope Leo continues to advocate for global peace, including urging for safe grain transport in Ukraine. “The daily bread of millions of people cannot be held hostage by war,” he remarked.
Additionally, on Saturday, Pope Leo called for the abolition of the death penalty, emphasizing on X that it is “inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.”
The Pope further stated, “The common good can be safeguarded and the requirements of justice can be met without recourse to capital punishment: effective systems of detention have been developed that protect citizens while at the same time do not completely deprive those who are guilty of the possibility of redemption.”
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
