Will the Pope fly to South America? The surgeon's strong stance
Quick Look
- Pope Francis is scheduled to travel to Uruguay, Peru and Argentina from November 6-17, despite recent surgery to remove a lung tumor.
- Professor Margaritora, a thoracic surgeon, stated that the Pope will regain strength and has no medical contraindications to undertake the over 30,000-kilometer route including several flights and changes in climate and altitude.
- The cancer was discovered accidentally during abdominal examination.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Pope Francis underwent surgery to remove a lung tumor that was discovered accidentally during routine abdominal imaging. The cancer did not cause any symptoms, and the Pope was feeling well before the diagnosis.
The pope is scheduled to visit Uruguay, Peru and Argentina from November 6-17.
Surgeon: The Pope will endure the hardships of the pilgrimage
In an interview with the Vatican media, Professor Margaritora, a chest surgeon, emphasized that Leo XIV should fully regain strength within about ten days.
He also expressed the opinion that the Pope would endure the hardships of a pilgrimage to three South American countries. Its route is over 30,000 kilometers and several dozen flights. It's also about climate and altitude changes.
On Saturday, the fifth day of hospitalization, the Pope left the Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, where he was operated on. He left the hospital in good shape.
"As for the long trip, including flights, which will take place in about three weeks, I would say that there are no medical contraindications to doing so," said Professor Margaritora.
Cancer detected accidentally
The pope's lung cancer was detected completely by accident, which unfortunately happens quite often. During routine abdominal imaging examinations, a small lesion was noticed at the base of the lung, the doctor explained.
This cancer, especially in its early stages, does not cause any symptoms. We saw this in the example of the Pope, who had no respiratory problems and felt perfectly fine, he added.
The surgery that Leo XIV underwent on Tuesday was described by the surgeon as routine.
The Pope had a lot of strong will
The Pope put all his heart and strength into his recovery after surgery, showing the determination typical of the most motivated patients after this type of surgery, said the surgeon.
As he stated, Leo XIV had a lot of strong will to regain fitness as quickly as possible, which translated into progress in recovery.
On Sunday at noon, the Pope will meet with the faithful to pray the Angelus; a week after he also announced on that occasion that doctors had detected a nodule on his lung. This news caused shock at the time.
Thousands of people from all over the world are expected in St. Peter's Square.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Pope Francis will go on a scheduled trip to Uruguay, Peru and Argentina on November 6-17, 2026.
Very likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What was the exact size and type of the pope's lung cancer?
- Does your planned trip to South America include meetings with the leaders of these countries?
- What precautions will be taken during the trip due to the Pope's health?
