Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma. The Vatican announced this in a medical bulletin. Surgery to remove the lower lobe of the right lung took place on Tuesday at Rome's Gemelli Clinic and lasted approximately 90 minutes. According to the Vatican, there were no complications, and the entire lower lobe was removed to ensure a radical procedure.

The 71-year-old pontiff spent a quiet night and is expected to remain in the hospital for about a week. He had announced the upcoming surgery himself on Sunday during the traditional prayer in St. Peter's Square, revealing that a nodule had been discovered in his lung. According to him, the growth was "well-defined" and detected at an early stage.

The Vatican stated that the diagnosis was confirmed following an examination of the removed tissue, consistent with pre-operative expectations. A Vatican source told AFP that further tests are being conducted to determine whether the tumor has spread. The Vatican emphasizes that the Pope showed no symptoms of illness or infection.

The Pontiff's schedule has been cancelled until October 20. According to Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, the Pope decided not to postpone the surgery so as not to disrupt a trip to Latin America scheduled for early November. The trip includes a visit to Peru, where Leo XIV—then known as Robert Prevost—served for many years as a missionary and later as a bishop. Authorities in the city of Chiclayo, where he served as bishop for eight years, were expecting the arrival of approximately 1,5 million people.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin described the news as unexpected but noted that the cardinals were struck by the Pope's calmness and are confident in his recovery. It also emerged that the Pontiff's brother, Luis Prévost, is undergoing treatment for multiple myeloma.