10 rumors we've investigated involving Pope Leo XIV

We revisited our past coverage of the pope amid news that a tumor was removed from his right lung. Published Oct. 19, 2026 In October, the Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV had been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer, and had surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung. Days after undergoing surgery, Leo returned to the Vatican and said he would gradually return to his regular duties. His surgeon also said the pontiff would be allowed to go on his tour of Latin America in November. Leo became leader of the Roman Catholic Church in May 2025. As the first pope from the United States and an anti-war advocate, Leo has featured in multiple rumors about his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump — many of which have not been true. For example, Snopes debunked a false claim that Leo said Trump was "destroying democracy" to stay out of prison. We also reported on an AI-generated false claim that Leo delivered a "fiery sermon" criticizing the U.S. president. For further reading, we compiled 18 rumors about Leo that we covered from 2025 to early 2026. Below is a collection of our most recent coverage of the pope. Sources Chung, Laura. "Pope Leo Resumes Some Work After Cancer Surgery, Vatican Says: What to Know." The New York Times, 14 Oct. 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/14/world/europe/pope-leo-xiv-cancer-diagnosis.html. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.Deng, Rae. "18 Rumors Involving Pope Leo XIV, Examined." Snopes, 25 Apr. 2026, https://www.snopes.com//collections/pope-leo-rumors/. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.Pope Leo: I Will Undergo Surgery Soon to Remove Nodule in My Lung - Vatican News. 11 Oct. 2026, https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-10/pope-leo-xiv-to-undergo-surgery-remove-nodule-lung.html."Pope Leo Tells Faithful in St. Peter's Square He Will Gradually Resume Duties after Cancer Surgery." The Associated Press, 18 Oct. 2026, https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-cancer-surgery-angelus-7c3dfef5de69ebfc0e888ebe1e6a22ca. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.Pope Leo XIV Undergoes Successful Lung Surgery - Vatican News. 13 Oct. 2026, https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-10/pope-leo-surgery-gemelli-hospital-successful.html."Pope Returns to Vatican Days after Surgery; Surgeon Says He Should Be Fit for Latin America Tour." The Associated Press, 17 Oct. 2026, https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-lung-surgery-hospital-release-41683469bc294bcae08aa631b622e435. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.Pope's Surgeon: No Clinical Reason to Cancel Visit to South America - Vatican News. 17 Oct. 2026, https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-10/pope-leo-xiv-interview-surgeon-stefano-margaritora.html. By Nur Ibrahim Nur Nasreen Ibrahim is a reporter with experience working in television, international news coverage, fact checking, and creative writing. Article Tags