Pope Leo XIV has lung cancer; Vatican provides surgery update

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Wednesday, October 14, 2026

The Vatican has announced that Pope Leo XIV has lung cancer in an update following the pontiff’s scheduled surgery.

In a statement Tuesday, the Holy See Press Office said the pontiff "underwent thoracic surgery as scheduled” and that “the lower lobe of [his] right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique.”

Video-assisted surgery is a minimally invasive procedure done through small incisions with the help of a camera.

“The intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected by the pre-operative tests,” the statement reads.

In other words, tissue tested during the operation confirmed what doctors suspected beforehand. According to WebMD, “Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer diagnosed in the U.S.”

“The Holy Father was in the operating theatre for approximately three hours; the operation itself lasted about ninety minutes. The operation was successful and there were no complications,” the press office said. “Following the operation, the Pope woke up normally and, after a brief period of observation, returned to his room on the tenth floor.”

The pope’s diagnosis has prompted an outpouring of prayer from world and religious leaders. In a statement posted to X Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he and his wife were “united in prayer for @PONTIFEX’s health following his recent diagnosis."

“May the Lord give him strength and the Holy Spirit guide the medical professionals taking care of the Holy Father," she said. 

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres shared a similar message in an X post Tuesday.

“Wishing His Holiness Pope Leo XIV a speedy recovery following his recent diagnosis. My prayers & thoughts are with @Pontifex and the Catholic community worldwide,” he wrote.

The post included a photo of Guterres shaking hands with the pontiff.

Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally, the spiritual leader of the Church of England, also offered well wishes in an X post Wednesday.

“My daily prayers remain with Pope Leo XIV following his cancer diagnosis, and I assure the Holy Father and the Catholic faithful of the prayers of the Church of England and the Anglican Communion," Mullally wrote. "I pray that the Holy Spirit — the Comforter, Healer and Giver of Life — will sustain him in the days and weeks ahead, and that his recovery will be swift and complete.”

The pontiff first revealed his health problem Sunday after reciting the Angelus prayer, while speaking to the Catholic faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square from the window of his residence at the Vatican.

“Dear friends, during some recent medical examinations, the doctors found a small, localized nodule in my lung," he said. "It was detected at a very early stage and is well-localized. The doctors believe that it is best to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it.”

Leo XIV did not give a date for the surgery, saying only that “The operation is already scheduled to take place in the coming days.”

In a statement Monday, the Holy See Press Office said the pope would not hold any audiences until Oct. 20 because of the surgery and expected recovery period.

The surgery and diagnosis come nearly a year and a half after the former Cardinal Robert Prevost became the 267th leader of the Roman Catholic Church following the April 2025 death of Pope Francis. Leo XIV, 71, is the first pope born in the United States.