Pope Leo XIV was diagnosed with lung cancer on Tuesday, the Vatican said, a revelation that casts uncertainty over his agenda and raises questions about succession about a year and a half into his papacy. Doctors operating on the pope in Rome confirmed he has lung adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer that can be highly treatable when caught early. Surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung. It was not clear as of Wednesday morning whether Leo, 71, would undergo further treatment, though the Vatican said he still plans to visit South America in November.
Political and religious figures around the world, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.N. Secretary General António Guterres, responded to the diagnosis with prayers and messages of support. Leo was elected in May 2025 and is the first pope from the United States. Born Robert Francis Prevost, he is from the Chicago area but spent much of his life outside the United States, including two decades in Peru, where he became a bishop and a naturalized citizen. He has remained physically active, playing tennis regularly and swimming at the papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo.
On Sunday, the pope told a crowd in St. Peter's Square that he would have a small growth on his lung removed. The surgery at Gemelli Hospital in Rome lasted about 90 minutes and was successful with no complications, the Vatican said. Leo woke up "normally" and spent the evening with Vatican staff, and on Wednesday morning the Vatican said he had spent a "restful night." The Vatican has not disclosed the stage of the cancer. Lung adenocarcinoma often occurs among adults 70 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and survival rates vary greatly by stage.
Before the surgery, the Vatican said Leo was expected to spend about a week recovering in the hospital and that all audiences with him would be canceled until Oct. 20. His South America trip next month, including a stop in Peru, remains on the travel schedule. Leo is expected to remain in charge unless he is incapacitated, while day-to-day decisions fall to the Vatican's bureaucracy.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing