Pope Leo announces he will undergo surgery to remove lung nodule

Pope Leo XIV has announced he will undergo surgery to remove a localized lung nodule.

"During some check-ups, doctors discovered a localized nodule on my lung," the 71-year-old pope told those gathered in St Peter's Square for the Angelus prayer on Sunday.

"It was detected at a very early stage and is well-defined. The doctors deem it advisable to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it."

A lung nodule is a small mass of dense tissue on the lung and most are non-cancerous.

Pope Leo said the surgery was planned in the "coming days", with a Vatican spokesman clarifying that the procedure was scheduled for early next week and that he would need a week in hospital to recover.

Leo is relatively young for a pope, and is generally seen to be in good health. He plays tennis and remains physically active.

Leo XIV is preparing for a major visit to Latin America from 6-17 November where he is scheduled to visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. The pope has a demanding daily schedule of meetings and public events, although on Tuesday takes a day off at the papal retreat of Castel Gandolfo.

This is a developing story and will be updated.