The pontiff’s surgery has raised questions over who would run the Catholic Church if he became incapacitated
Pope Leo XIV has had part of a lung removed after being diagnosed with cancer, the Vatican has announced. The diagnosis has exposed a gap in Vatican law, which has no clear procedure for transferring papal authority if the pontiff becomes too ill to govern.
The 71-year-old pope underwent surgery at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday after doctors discovered a small tumor. The Vatican confirmed that surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung and that tests identified the cancer as pulmonary adenocarcinoma, one of the most common forms of lung cancer.
“The surgery was completed successfully, within the expected timeframe and as planned,” the Vatican said in a statement. The operation lasted approximately 90 minutes, with the pope spending about three hours in the operating room. Doctors reported no complications.
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