A lump on the lung: the Pope is to undergo surgery. Mattarella and Meloni express their support

At the end of the Sunday Angelus, the Pope announced that he will undergo surgery in the coming days: “Recently, during some check-ups, the doctors found a small, localised lump in my lung. It was detected at a very early stage and is well localised. The doctors believe it is advisable to operate and, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to have it removed. I thank you for your spiritual closeness and I entrust myself to your prayers.” The operation is scheduled for the beginning of next week and his hospital stay is expected to last a week, said the director of the Vatican Press Office, Matteo Bruni. According to reports, the operation is expected to take place at the Policlinico Gemelli.

The Italian Bishops’ Conference, through its president, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, immediately expressed its solidarity with the Pope: “Together with all the Churches in Italy, we stand united with the Holy Father during these difficult hours. We are close to him, entrusting him to the Lord and to the Virgin Mary, Salus Populi Romani. We thank Pope Leo for the simplicity and trust with which he has shared this trial with us. We are one family: Holy Father, you are not alone! We accompany you with our prayers and our affection, that the operation may go well and that the Lord may grant you serenity and strength.”

The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, has sent a message to Pope Leo XIV: “The Italian people stand by you and express their feelings of affection. You may count not only on the prayers of the Catholic faithful, but also on the sympathetic thoughts of countless people, both in Italy and throughout the world, whether they are believers or non-believers.” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also expressed her support for the Pope: “I wish to convey to the Holy Father my personal solidarity and that of the Italian Government as he faces the ordeal he is set to endure in the coming days. The serenity and calm with which he spoke of it during today’s Angelus are a source of comfort to us. I am certain that the Italian people, too, will not fail to offer their support and affection.”

Shortly before the announcement, Leo XIV had recalled that in less than a month’s time he would be travelling to Peru. A lengthy trip, from 6 to 17 November, which will also take in Uruguay and Argentina, marking his first journey to South America as Pope. Several dioceses have already expressed their intention to pray for the Pope’s health, as have ecclesial movements and associations. “I ask each of you to pray for the success of the operation and for the Holy Father’s recovery, so that he may continue to carry out the task entrusted to him for the unity of the whole Church and for the proclamation of the peace that Christ brings to the world,” wrote Davide Prosperi, president of Communion and Liberation, in a message.