Pope Leo is ready to embark on a 12-day tour a month after surgery
Kyiv • UNN
After lung surgery, Pope Leo is feeling well and will travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru on Friday. No additional security measures are planned.
Pope Leo is feeling well and is ready to embark this week on a busy tour of South American countries — less than a month after surgery. They also noted that no additional medical safety measures are being taken for this trip. Vatican representatives said, as reported by UNN, citing Reuters.
Details
The 71-year-old Leo will set off on Friday for a 12-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru; the trip will be one of the most demanding for a pope in decades. On October 13, he underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung.
"The Pope is in good health," Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said at a briefing. "This is not a chronic condition, but a problem that can be treated, as surgical intervention has been performed."
The diagnosis of "cancer" in Pope Leo, who became head of the Catholic Church in May 2025, came as a shock and raised questions about how his pontificate would unfold as he battled the disease.
Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass three days after lung surgery - MEDIA17.10.26, 15:54 • 8051 view
Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican's "foreign minister," said last week that the health condition "significantly changes the situation" — both in how Catholics view Leo's health and in their understanding of the future of his pontificate.
In addition
The publication notes that Leo was treated for adenocarcinoma — the most common form of lung cancer. According to doctors, an analysis of the tissue removed during surgery confirmed that the disease was localized, so no further treatment would be necessary.
Bruni said that Leo had recovered to the point that no additional medical measures would be needed during the trip.
According to him, the Vatican medical staff that usually accompanies the Pope will travel with him in its usual composition; as during previous foreign visits, ambulances will also be part of the papal motorcade.
"Doctors and nurses are always with him, and certain basic conditions are ensured," he said. "I will not go into details, as the situation does not require it."
Maria Montserrat Alvarado, who heads the Vatican's extensive communications service, said at the briefing that Pope Leo's endurance was "simply fantastic." "I would not be worried," she said. "His doctors are completely confident."
Context
During the trip, which will run from November 6 to 17, the Pope is expected to travel about 31,000 km (19,300 miles), visit 10 cities and deliver 36 speeches.
On Tuesday, the Vatican confirmed that the trip would take place without changes to the original schedule, which includes 12 flights and two helicopter journeys.
In Peru, the Pope will visit Cusco — a city located in the Andes at an altitude of 3,399 meters (11,152 feet) above sea level. At such an altitude, travelers may experience symptoms of altitude sickness or require supplemental oxygen.
Medical experts told Reuters that the doctors' decision to allow the Pope to fly indicates a low risk of complications following the surgery: the operated lung has fully re-expanded, and the postoperative wounds are healing without signs of infection.
"I don't think the Pope will face any particular risks or need any specific precautions during this trip," said Dr. Serena Ricciardi, a lung cancer specialist at Rome's San Camillo-Forlanini Hospital.