Pope Leo diagnosed with lung cancer after surgery

Pope Leo XIV has lung cancer, the Vatican has announced, after surgery to remove a growth from his right lung.

The 71-year-old had the lower lobe of his right lung removed at Rome's Gemelli hospital on Tuesday. Tests confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer. The Vatican said the diagnosis had been suspected before the operation and was confirmed during it.

"Successfully, on schedule and as planned"

An earlier statement said the operation had concluded "successfully, on schedule and as planned". The pope was in the operating theatre for about three hours, and the operation itself took about 90 minutes. He has since returned to his room, and all his appointments have been cancelled until 20 October.

In an unusual moment of openness, Leo told crowds in St Peter's Square on Sunday that doctors had found a small nodule on his lung during a check-up, and that it was "well-contained" and detected early. "The doctors believe it would be right to intervene and so, following their advice, I have decided to have the operation to remove it," he said.

"Like a bolt out of the blue"

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, who saw the pope on Monday night, said: "The announcement came like a bolt out of the blue, nobody expected it. Thank God it was detected immediately, so the operation could take place immediately. Normally, when these things are caught in time, they can be resolved."

The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said he and his wife were "united in prayers", and Australia's prime minister, Anthony Albanese, called Leo "a voice for peace, humanity and reason".

The first American pope

Leo, born in Chicago, became the first US-born leader of the Catholic church in May last year, after the death of Pope Francis. A keen tennis player, he is generally thought to be in good health. He visited France in September and is due to make a 12-day trip to South America in November.

The Gemelli is known for treating popes: John Paul II stayed so often that a special papal suite was created. Francis spent more than five weeks there with pneumonia in 2025, and died a month after being discharged.

About the diagnosis

Lung cancer found early, when it is small and has not spread, can often be treated successfully with surgery. Removing a lobe of the lung is a common operation, and many patients recover well and return to normal activities within weeks.

In Birmingham

Birmingham is home to St Chad's Cathedral, the seat of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, which serves one of the largest Catholic communities in England, with parishes and schools across the city. Catholics around the world have been praying for the pope's recovery.