Pope Leo to undergo surgery in coming days

 VATICAN CITY – Pope Leo XIV announced at his Sunday Angelus that he will undergo surgery in the coming days after routine checkups found a nodule in his lung.

 The pope, 71, said that the nodule had been found at an early stage and was well-localised, meaning that it is operable and easy to distinguish from the surrounding lung tissue. The surgery is expected to happen in the coming days at Gemelli Hospital in Rome, with a recovery time of around a week.

 The cause for the nodule is unknown, with no confirmation if it is cancer. Nodules are small areas of abnormal tissue that is visible inside the lung during a CT scan or an x-ray.

 Leo has an extensive trip of South America planned from Nov 6 to Nov 17, including visiting Peru, where he lived for 20 years. The pontiff has confirmed he is still planning on carrying out these papal duties.

 The pope “entrusted” himself to the prayers of the crowd and thanked onlookers and well-wishers for their support.

 khg