The Vatican has not announced a date for Pope Leo’s surgery but said his recovery is expected to take about a week. (EPA Images pic)VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo was maintaining his regular busy schedule on Monday as he awaits surgery to remove a small growth found on one of his lungs and he held seven previously planned meetings in the morning, the Vatican said.

Leo, 71, said on Sunday that the growth, a small nodule, had been found on a recent check-up, was "well-contained" and had been spotted early. He added he would undergo surgery this week.

The nodule was found during a routine health check, the Vatican press office told journalists on Monday.

The usual advisory on the pope's daily schedule, issued at noon (1000 GMT), said he met that morning with visiting bishops from Argentina, Nicaragua and the US, among others.