Pope Leo XIV has announced he will be operated on "in the coming days" after a nodule was found on his lung during a medical check-up." The doctors found an early, well-localised nodule on my lung," he told the public during his weekly Sunday prayers in St Peter's Square in Rome.

The pontiff's admission that he would need surgery comes nearly a year-and-a-half after he succeeded the late Pope Francis, who also experienced issues with his lungs that required hospital treatment. Leo concluded his Angelus prayer by thanking everyone for their "spiritual closeness" and said he entrusted himself to their prayers.

He added that the Pope is expected to take about a week to rec over. Vatican News, the Holy See's news portal, said the operation will take place at Gemelli Hospital in Rome.

The hospital set up a special Papal suite following the failed assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II's life in May 1981, which is still in use today. The Pope, born Robert Francis Provost, is the 267th occupant of the throne of St Peter – the first US citizen to do so.

He was ordained in 1982 and spent years as a missionary in Peru, where he is remembered as a figure who worked with marginalised communities. During Sunday's service, the Pope confirmed his upcoming visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru in November will still go ahead.

The Archbishop of Montevideo, Daniel Sturla, said preparations for his tour will continue with "greater enthusiasm" as he called for prayers for his recovery. Most nodules do not cause other symptoms.