Pope Leo says will undergo surgery for early-stage lung nodule

BREAKING: Pope Leo says he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a lung nodule detected at a very early stage, the 71-year-old pontiff announced after the Angelus.

Pope Leo will have surgery in the coming days to remove a lung nodule.

The 71-year-old pontiff made the announcement himself on Sunday, right after the Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square. He told the crowd the nodule was detected at a very early stage, and that his doctors believe it is advisable to intervene. In his words, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to have it removed. The procedure is already scheduled.

Early detection matters here, and the Vatican clearly wanted this news to come from the Pope directly rather than leak out of a hospital corridor. That is deliberate. Transparency on papal health has been patchy in the past, and this announcement broke that pattern on purpose.

For now, the hardest fact is the simplest one. A 71-year-old Pope is going under the knife within days, and a billion Catholics will be watching the Vatican's next bulletin very closely.

This is Sara White, reporting for HIT.