Pope Leo XIV, the head of the Catholic Church, has lung cancer. On Tuesday, 13 October, Vatican officials said that doctors in Rome removed part of his right lung in an operation. The Pope is 71 years old and is now recovering in Gemelli Hospital.

Doctors found a small tumour in a recent check-up. The tumour is a common type of lung cancer called adenocarcinoma. They took out the part of the lung with cancer during surgery. More medical tests are needed to see if the cancer has spread.

Because of this illness, Pope Leo’s public meetings are cancelled until 20 October. The Vatican has not said if he will visit Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru in November as planned. Future decisions about travel will depend on the Pope’s health and advice from his doctors.