Pope Leo XIV has lung cancer. The Vatican just told the world.

Pope Leo XIV has lung cancer. The Vatican announced Tuesday evening that the 71-year-old pontiff underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, and that tissue examined during the operation confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma.

According to the Holy See Press Office, the pope spent about three hours in the operating room at Rome's Gemelli hospital, with the procedure itself lasting 90 minutes. Surgeons used a video-assisted technique to remove the lobe "to ensure the radical removal of the tumor." The Vatican said the operation was successful with no complications, and that Leo woke up normally and returned to his room.

The nodule was first detected during what the Vatican described as routine checks. Leo announced the surgery himself on Sunday, saying the growth was "contained" and found "at a very early stage" — but did not then confirm cancer. The Vatican said doctors are not currently discussing chemotherapy pending further tests, including whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes. All public events through Oct. 20 are cancelled.

The Canadian connection: Cardinal Michael Czerny, the Czech-born Canadian Jesuit who leads the Vatican's development dicastery, received Villanova University's inaugural Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal at the Vatican on Tuesday in a ceremony that went ahead without the pope.