VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV has been medically cleared for a demanding 12-day trip to South America next month, just two weeks after surgery for lung cancer, the Vatican said Monday, CBS News reported.
Based on his condition and recent tests, there are “no contraindications” to the Nov. 6-17 journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, the Vatican said. The 71-year-old pontiff plans to visit 10 cities and take 14 flights.
The schedule still includes Cuzco, Peru, which sits more than 11,000 feet above sea level, where thinner air could be a challenge for someone recovering from lung surgery. Last week, on his doctors’ advice, Leo canceled a helicopter trip to Assisi for a peace gathering because of concerns about unpressurized air.
Doctors removed the lower lobe of the pope’s right lung on Oct. 13 after a malignant tumor, a lung adenocarcinoma, was found by chance during a routine exam. The trip is personal for the first American-born pope, who spent more than 20 years as a missionary and bishop in Peru.
Sources: CBS News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Alvesgaspar / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
