Pope Leo XIV after lung surgery: South American trip to go ahead as planned

Pope Leo XIV will travel to South America in November despite having undergone lung surgery in October. The Vatican said that, given his current clinical condition and test results, there are no contraindications to the journey.

What is known about the operation

On Sunday 11 October 2026, the pope told the faithful in St Peter's Square that doctors had found a localised nodule in his lung. In his words, it was detected at a very early stage and is well contained. The 71-year-old Leo XIV decided to have surgery.

The operation was carried out on 13 October 2026 at the Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome. According to a Vatican medical bulletin, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed by video-assisted surgery. Examination during the operation confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, which doctors had already suspected. The Vatican said the procedure was successful and without complications.

Return to duties

Recovery was expected to take about a week, and the pope's audiences and public events up to 20 October were cancelled. Leo XIV then began gradually returning to his tasks, including the weekly general audiences. The chief surgeon had earlier said the pope could fully recover before the trip. The Vatican Secretary of State, meanwhile, suggested the pope might need to slow the pace of his duties.

The trip

The pilgrimage is due to run from 6 to 17 November 2026 and will take in Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. Media have described it as one of the most intensive papal trips in recent decades. In the sources we used, the Vatican has not set out a changed schedule of the pope's activities after the operation.