At the end of the Angelus on Sunday, October 11, 2026, Pope Leo XIV announced an upcoming surgery to remove a nodule in his lung. According to his words, the nodule was detected during tests, is «circumscribed,» identified «at a very early stage,» and «well localized.» The pontiff explained that he decided to undergo the operation following his doctors’ advice and accompanied the announcement with the phrase: «I entrust myself to your prayers!»
Leo XIV’s announcement adds to other moments when pontiffs have shared their fragility with the faithful. The Vatican News article recounts six episodes that, although occurring under different circumstances, share a common thread of prayer and connection with those who suffer. Among them are Paul VI’s gratitude before a surgery in 1967, John Paul II’s words after the 1981 assassination attempt and during a hospitalization in 1992, his convalescence in 1994, Benedict XVI’s resignation in 2013, and Francis’s reflection from Gemelli Hospital in 2021.
On November 1, 1967, the Solemnity of All Saints, Paul VI began the Angelus with a reference to his own health: «greetings to you, dearest children; and thank you for the interest you show in our health.» Three days later, on November 4, he would undergo prostate surgery to treat a benign lesion, performed by the team of surgeon Pietro Valdoni in an operating room set up in the Apostolic Palace. In that Angelus, Pope Montini did not speak of the imminent surgery but expressed gratitude to those concerned about his health and offered a reflection on Christian hope and communion with the deceased.
On May 17, 1981, four days after the assassination attempt in St. Peter’s Square, John Paul II’s voice reached the faithful again through an audio message recorded at Gemelli Hospital and broadcast during the Regina Caeli. Wojtyła thanked people for their prayers, remembered the two people wounded alongside him, and declared his forgiveness of the attacker. He then spoke of the suffering he was experiencing: «United with Christ, Priest and Victim, I offer my sufferings for the Church and for the world.» On July 12, 1992, after the Angelus, he said: «Now I would like to share a confidence with you,» and announced that he would be admitted to Gemelli that night «to undergo some diagnostic tests.» He asked to be accompanied by prayer and renewed his entrustment to the Virgin with the «Totus tuus.» On July 15, he underwent surgery to remove a benign intestinal tumor. The text distinguishes what he personally announced—the hospitalization for tests—from the surgery that followed.
On May 29, 1994, upon returning to the Angelus from the window of the Apostolic Palace after being hospitalized for a femur fracture, John Paul II thanked doctors, nurses, religious sisters, and healthcare professionals, as well as those who had shown him solidarity. The convalescence was also an occasion to reflect on the Christian meaning of suffering, in the context of the Year of the Family. Addressing ideally the powerful of the world, he said: «Once again I have to meet those powerful of the world and I have to speak. With what arguments? I have this argument of suffering left. And I would like to say to them: understand this, understand why the Pope was again in the hospital, again in suffering—understand this, rethink this!» To the faithful, he expressed gratitude for the «community of prayer.»
On February 11, 2013, during the Consistory in which he announced his resignation from the Petrine ministry, Benedict XVI explained in his Latin «Declaratio» that his strength, due to advanced age, was no longer adequate for the task entrusted to him. He did not communicate a diagnosis or a surgery but the result of a discernment before God, weighing his energies in relation to the responsibilities of service. He recalled that the ministry is also carried out in suffering and prayer, but he considered necessary also «the vigor of both body and spirit,» which he had felt diminish in recent months. He also indicated that he would continue serving the Church through prayer.
On July 11, 2021, a week after colon surgery, Francis recited the Angelus from the balcony on the tenth floor of Gemelli Hospital. He thanked the faithful for their closeness and the support of their prayers. From his hospitalization, he reflected on the value of «a good healthcare service, accessible to all,» stressed the effort needed to preserve that good, and encouraged doctors, healthcare professionals, and hospital employees. Care, in his words, also included listening, attention, and tenderness: gestures capable of alleviating pain and reviving a sick person. At his side were some hospitalized children; Francis invited people to accompany them in prayer, extending the thought to all the sick, especially those in the most difficult conditions, so that no one would be left alone.
Context and relevance
The episodes recalled belong to different circumstances: a surgery, the aftermath of an assassination attempt, a hospitalization for tests, a convalescence, and a loss of strength. In the pontiffs’ words, personal fragility is intertwined with ministry, gratitude for care, and attention to those who suffer. Prayer, whether requested, shared, or offered, accompanies that relationship. Even during illness, the bond between the pastor and the community continues to manifest itself. Leo XIV’s announcement fits within that line: the pontiff informed about his health, asked for prayers, and thanked the faithful for their spiritual closeness.
Original source: www.vaticannews.va (published on October 13, 2026)
