Pope Leo XIV maintains his intention to travel in November to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, despite the operation in which the lower lobe of his right lung was removed after an adenocarcinoma was confirmed. This was indicated on Wednesday, October 14, by the director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni.
“We have heard the Pope’s words about the trip, about his intention, his desire, and also the fact of going,” Bruni told journalists. Peruvian media that reported his words emphasize, however, that definitive confirmation will depend on the evolution of the Pontiff’s health and the tests in the coming days.
Lima postpones a preparatory meeting
According to ACI Prensa, the Archdiocese of Lima has postponed a meeting to prepare for the papal visit, although it assures that it continues working on the preparations. In Uruguay and Argentina, the Church has called for prayers for the Pope’s health while the governments remain attentive to possible adjustments in the schedule.
InfoVaticana had already pointed out that the operation came less than a month before a trip that the Vatican did not modify, and that the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma requires reconsidering his agenda.
The debate on the advisability of the trip
The issue is already being discussed in the Catholic press. The German newspaper Die Tagespost asks whether the Pope should undertake the trip despite the diagnosis and maintains that, if Leo XIV fulfills this demanding obligation despite the illness, he will render a service to the image of the episcopal ministry, which is currently damaged in the eyes of the public.
Meanwhile, the medical reports released by the Holy See speak of a good recovery of the lung, and the Pope has already resumed part of his activity from the Gemelli.