Pope Leo Reveals an Early-Stage Lung Nodule and Surgery, Raising Doubts Over His November Americas Tour

Pope Leo XIV, the first US-born pope, revealed on Sunday that doctors found an early-stage nodule in his lung and will remove it surgically within days, with his scheduled November tour of South America still on the calendar.

Pope Leo's Surgery and Recovery Timeline

Leo, 71, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, announced the operation himself during his Angelus address on 11 October, telling pilgrims in St Peter's Square that recent checks had found a 'small, localized nodule' detected at 'a very early stage'. He said doctors advised intervention and he would follow their guidance.

The Vatican press office said the procedure would take place in the first days of this week at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic that has treated pontiffs for decades. Spokesperson Matteo Bruni put the expected recovery at about one week.

The November Americas Tour in Question

Leo is scheduled to begin his first papal visit to Latin America on 6 November, an 11-day journey running through 17 November that will take him to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. The Vatican has published the itinerary, which includes public Masses, meetings with political leaders, and visits to several cities.

The itinerary is punishing. Vatican planners have mapped more than 19,000 miles (about 30,500 kilometres) across 14 flights, nine public Masses, and 10 cities, finishing in Peru, where Leo spent much of his ministry before gaining citizenship in 2015. The packed schedule leaves limited room for delays or unexpected medical complications. A delay would postpone the most personal leg of the trip.

Leo has said he intends to travel, and the Vatican has not announced any schedule changes. The operation's outcome and recovery period will be important factors in determining whether the published itinerary proceeds as planned.

What a Lung Nodule Actually Means

For millions who receive the same news, the medical picture is less alarming than it sounds. A lung nodule is a small growth, usually under 3 centimetres (1.18 inches) that often appears incidentally on scans ordered for unrelated reasons, according to the American Cancer Society. Most are benign, the residue of old infections or scar tissue. Doctors typically assess their size, shape, and growth before deciding on treatment.

'The majority of lung nodules are benign,' said Panagis Galiatsatos, a pulmonologist at Johns Hopkins, in comments reported by NPR. Doctors assess a nodule's size, shape, and other features when deciding whether further tests or removal are needed. The Vatican has not disclosed whether Leo's nodule is benign or malignant, so no individual prognosis can yet be established from the public information.

A Vatican Still Mindful of Francis

Leo's disclosure comes after his predecessor, Pope Francis, died in April 2025. Francis died after suffering a stroke, coma, and irreversible cardiovascular collapse, according to the Vatican's medical report. He had also undergone surgery to remove part of a lung in his early twenties following a respiratory infection.

Leo announced his condition during the Angelus, and the Vatican later provided an expected recovery period. For now, the surgery is scheduled, the November visit remains on the official calendar, and the nature of the nodule has not been publicly disclosed.