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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Rebecca Thomas

Pope Leo to undergo surgery in the coming days

  • Pope Leo XIV, aged 71, has announced he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove an early-stage, localised nodule on his lung.
  • The Vatican confirmed the operation is scheduled for early next week, with an estimated post-operative recovery time of about one week.
  • It remains unclear whether the recovery period will impact the pontiff's planned trip to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from 6 to 17 November.
  • The Chicago-born Pope, who became the first American pontiff in May 2025, has no previously known health issues and is physically active.
  • The news follows the Pope's recent statement reaffirming Catholic teaching that capital punishment is “inadmissible”.

IN FULL

Pope Leo to undergo surgery to remove nodule on lung

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