Pope Leo XIV cancels a trip to Assisi on medical advice

Pope Leo XIV has canceled the trip to Assisi that he had scheduled for next Tuesday, October 27, on medical recommendation, to continue his recovery after the operation he underwent last week to remove an adenocarcinoma from his lung, as reported this Friday by the Holy See.

In a statement published by the Vatican Press Office, it is explained that "given the short time that has passed since the surgery, the treating doctors do not consider the helicopter flight scheduled for October 27 to be appropriate."

In any case, this Friday's medical report points out that "as scheduled, the Holy Father has undergone a control chest x-ray" and the examination confirms "his excellent postoperative evolution," according to the official Vatican portal, Vatican News.

Pope Leo XIV was scheduled to travel to Assisi on October 27 to participate in the 'Disarmed and Disarming Peace' meeting, which commemorates the 40th anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Peace, called by Saint John Paul II.

Although he will not finally visit the Italian city, the Holy See has announced that the Pontiff will send a message of closeness to the organizers, leaders and representatives of the Christian confessions and religions, as well as to the guests present, "convinced that the spirit of Assisi, dialogue and the search for words and gestures of peace are valuable resources in a time of conflict."

This week it was also reported that the pope "will not need any additional treatment" after having lung cancer successfully removed, as confirmed by definitive histological examinations. The doctors stated that the tests confirmed that it was a lung adenocarcinoma, that the disease was "localized" and that "a subsequent oncological evaluation confirmed that no additional treatment was necessary."

Leo XIV, 71, underwent surgery on October 13 at the Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, two days after announcing during the Angelus prayer that a nodule had been detected in his right lung. The diagnosis after surgery was that the pope had adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer, so the entire lower lobe of his right lung was removed.

The pontiff has resumed his usual agenda and celebrated the Angelus prayer and the general audience in St. Peter's Square, which he toured in a popemobile. Meanwhile, the Vatican continues with preparations for its next trip to Latin America, scheduled for November 6 to 17, during which it will visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.