Pope Leo XIV was diagnosed with lung cancer on Tuesday, the Vatican said, a revelation that casts uncertainty over his agenda and raises questions about succession about a year and a half into his papacy.
The Vatican said that doctors operating on the pope in Rome on Tuesday confirmed he has lung adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer that can be highly treatable when caught early. Surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung.
It was not clear as of Wednesday morning whether Leo, 71, would undergo further treatment. The Vatican has said that he still plans to visit South America in November.
Political and religious figures around the world, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the U.N. Secretary General António Guterres, responded to the diagnosis with prayers and messages of support.
Here’s what to know.
Who is Pope Leo?
Leo was elected in May 2025 and is the first pope from the United States. Born Robert Francis Prevost, he is from the Chicago area but has spent much of his life outside the United States, including two decades in Peru, where he became a bishop and a naturalized citizen.
Since he took office, Leo has maintained a full schedule that included trips to Spain, France, Algeria and Cameroon. He has remained physically active, playing tennis regularly and swimming at the papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo.
How and when did he announce his diagnosis?
On Sunday, the pope told a crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his weekly blessing and prayer that he would have a small growth on his lung removed.
The surgery at Gemelli Hospital in Rome lasted about 90 minutes, and the pope was in the operating theater for about three hours, according to the Vatican. The procedure was successful and there were no complications, it said.
Following the operation, Leo woke up “normally” and spent the evening with Vatican staff, a Vatican spokesman said.
The Vatican said on Wednesday morning that the pope had spent a “restful night.”
What kind of cancer does he have?
Lung adenocarcinoma is a common form of lung cancer that can be highly treatable when caught early and often occurs among adults 70 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Survival rates vary greatly depending on the stage of the cancer. The Vatican has not provided any information about the stage of the pope’s cancer.
There is a history of cancer in Leo’s family. His mother, born Mildred Martinez, died at 78 after a cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy. His father, Louis Prevost, died at 77 from colon cancer and atherosclerotic heart disease, according to a Catholic news outlet, EWTN. His brother, Louis Prevost, was once diagnosed with multiple myeloma, according to The Tampa Bay Times.
What happens next?
Before the surgery, the Vatican said that Leo was expected to spend about a week recovering in the hospital and that all audiences with him would be canceled until Oct. 20.
The pope plans to travel to South America next month, including to Peru. Those plans remain unchanged, a Vatican spokesman said, and were still listed in his upcoming travel schedule as of Wednesday morning.
Leo is expected to remain in charge at the Vatican unless he is incapacitated, but day-to-day decisions are to be handled by its sprawling bureaucracy.
Elisabetta Povoledo contributed reporting.
The post What to Know About Pope Leo’s Cancer Diagnosis appeared first on New York Times.
