Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer.
The Vatican has confirmed in a medical bulletin that doctors removed the lower lobe of the Pontiff's right lung during a 90-minute surgery.
"The surgery was successful, and there were no complications," the statement noted.
The Pope was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Tuesday for the surgery to remove a growth that doctors had spotted at a recent check-up.
"In order to make the procedure curative, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique," chief of thoracic surgery Professor Margaritora shared. "A rapid intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as had been suspected from the preoperative tests."
The Pope is expected to recover in hospital for about a week, and all his public events have been cancelled until 20 October.
The 71-year-old is reported to enjoy sports including tennis, and is not known to smoke or have had recent health issues. He keeps a busy schedule and is due to make an 11-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from 6 to 17 November.
The 267th Pope of the Catholic Church, real name Robert Francis Prevost, was elected by the world's cardinals in May 2025.
The late Pope Francis, Pope Leo's predecessor, was hospitalised several times as he grew frail in his later years. He died in April 2025 at age 88.