Pope Leo XIV will undergo surgery to remove a nodule on his lung

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV announced Sunday he will undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a nodular lesion on his lung that was recently discovered during medical checks.The 71-year-old pope said the lesion was found at an early stage and was “circumscribed” or well-localized. The Vatican later said Leo would undergo surgery in the first days of the week, with an expected recovery time of a week.The American pope made the announcement during his Sunday noon blessing. He thanked the crowd for their closeness and entrusted himself to their prayers.Leo has no previously known health problems and is considered physically active, with weekly tennis games and swimming at the papal summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo.The pope has a major trip planned Nov. 6-17 to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. It's unclear whether the planned surgery and recovery would affect the itinerary, but Leo said earlier in his remarks Sunday that he planned to go.In his remarks, delivered in Italian, Leo said