De Juan Pablo II a León XIV: los primeros problemas de salud de los últimos cuatro pontífices

Pope Leo XIV announced on October 11 that he will undergo surgery to remove a pulmonary nodule. The announcement comes one year and five months after his election.

The health challenges faced by Leo XIV follow a pattern seen in his three predecessors during their early years in office. Pope John Paul II was critically injured by a gunshot wound in St. Peter's Square on May 13, 1981, roughly two and a half years after his election. Benedict XVI underwent a 20-minute surgery under local anesthesia on July 17, 2009, to repair a fractured right wrist. Pope Francis also experienced medical issues early in his pontificate, canceling morning meetings on November 15, 2013, due to a cold.