Vatican Announces Pope Leo XIV Has Lung Cancer, Underwent Surgery
The Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV has lung cancer and underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung.
Chicago, IL, October 13, 2026 —
The Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV has lung cancer and underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung. The announcement identifies the procedure and the affected part of the lung, but the information provided does not include when the surgery took place.
No further details were provided in the trend summary about the diagnosis, the Pope’s current condition, his recovery, or any follow-up treatment. It also does not specify where the operation was performed or identify the medical team involved. Those details remain unknown based on the information available here.
The announcement provides no prognosis or timetable for the Pope’s return to his usual duties. It also does not describe how the diagnosis was made or explain the circumstances leading to surgery. Without those details, no additional conclusions can be drawn about the illness or its effects.
The information available is limited to the Vatican’s announcement of the lung cancer diagnosis and the surgery to remove the lower lobe of the right lung. Any updates about his health or schedule would need to come from further information released by the Vatican.
Story summarized from the original created by WLS-TV.Website@abc.com(WLS-TV Chicago) on abc7chicago.com, see more information here.
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