Pope Leo XIV Diagnosed With Lung Cancer After Undergoing Surgery, Vatican Confirms — As South America Trip Now In Jeopardy
Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer.
Oct. 13 2026, Published 5:45 p.m. ET
Pope Leo XIV has been officially diagnosed with lung cancer after the presence of the disease was discovered during surgery, can reveal.
The Vatican confirmed the devastating cancer diagnosis in a medical bulletin following the operation, revealing that doctors had already spotted warning signs of lung adenocarcinoma during pre-surgery testing. Their alarming concerns were confirmed once surgeons began the procedure.
The Lower Lobe of Pope Leo's Right Lung Was Removed During Surgery
Pope Leo was officially diagnosed with lung cancer following a procedure in Rome.
"The surgery was successful, and there were no complications," the Vatican shared in the Tuesday, October 13 bulletin, as Leo "regained consciousness normally" following the 90-minute procedure and 3 hours in the operating room.
"To ensure a radical resection, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique. Intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, as suspected from pre-operative tests," it noted about the operation done on the pontiff at Rome's Gemelli Hospital.
Pope Leo Revealed Cancer Suspicions in Sunday Prayer Service
Pope Leo XIV delivered the Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on October 13.
Leo was healthy enough to walk himself into the hospital, where he waved to well-wishers and members of the faith gathered outside.
The Chicago-born pontiff had already told the devoted Catholics at his Sunday, October 11, Angelus prayer that his doctors found a "localized nodule" and that it was fortunately "detected at a very early stage and is well localized." He also revealed that he would be undergoing the surgery on the doctors' recommendation.
"I thank you for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers," the pope told his faithful.
Pope Leo Had Surgery Less Than a Month Before Upcoming South American Tour
It's unclear whether the cancer diagnosis and surgery will affect Pope Leo's upcoming visit to South American.
At the time of the pontiff's announcement that he'd be undergoing surgery, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, said Leo's operative recovery time would be approximately a week.
All audiences before the pontiff are canceled through October 20.
The Vatican has not commented on whether or not the surgery will affect Pope Leo's upcoming first apostolic journey to South America.
The major undertaking will see the pontiff fly from Rome to Montevideo, Uruguay, on November 6 for a grueling 11-day tour that will include 10 public masses across three countries.
Leo will then visit Argentina and wrap things up with four days in Peru, leaving for Rome on November 17.
South America Mission Will Be a Homecoming for Pope Leo XIV
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Pope Leo served as head of the Augustinian order in Argentina for 13 years.
The pontiff's marathon days will include celebrating Mass before massive crowds, meeting presidents and religious leaders, visiting a prison and an elderly care shelter, and attending late-night prayer vigils.
His brutal itinerary includes crisscrossing Peru by plane and helicopter, including a November 15 trek through Cusco and Pucallpa that begins before 8 a.m. and doesn't end until after 8 p.m. The entire visit will log more than. 19,000 air miles on 14 different flights.
The trip will mark a major homecoming of sorts for Leo, who has especially close ties to Argentina, where he was the head of the Augustinian order from 2001 to 2013, when he was still known as Robert Francis Prevost.
The role not only gave Leo an intimate knowledge of Argentina and its people, but also paved the way for a close friendship with Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the man who would make history in 2013 when he was elected Pope Francis, the first non-European pope in over 1,200 years.
Prevost would go on to make history of his own in May 2025, when he became the first American pope, choosing the name Leo XIV upon his selection by the College of Cardinals.
