India, Oct. 14 -- Pope Leo XIV has lung cancer, the Vatican announced in a press release. The Holy See Press Office added that the lower lobe of his right lung had been removed.

The 71-year-old had announced a couple of days back he'd undergo operation after a nodule was found on his lung during a medical checkup.

"The Holy Father underwent thoracic surgery as scheduled. To ensure a radical procedure, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique. The intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected by the pre-operative tests. The Holy Father was in the operating theatre for approximately three hours; the operation itself lasted about ninety minutes. The...