Pope Leo XIV Cancels Assisi Trip Due to Lung Cancer Recovery
Vatican cites doctors' advice against helicopter travel as pontiff recuperates from surgery.
Pope Leo XIV will not attend a planned trip to Assisi next week, the Vatican announced Friday, as he continues to recover from surgery to remove a cancerous mass from his lung. Doctors advised against the helicopter journey to the Italian town to facilitate his recovery.
The pontiff, 71, was scheduled to participate in a gathering marking the 40th anniversary of St. John Paul II’s World Day of Prayer for Peace. Instead, Pope Leo will send a message to the interfaith leaders and guests attending the event, titled “Disarmed and Disarming Peace.”
According to a statement from the pope’s doctors, a recent chest X-ray confirmed his recovery is progressing well. However, they recommended caution regarding the helicopter travel given the short time elapsed since the operation. The Vatican emphasized that the pope wishes to convey his closeness to the event participants and reiterate the value of dialogue and the pursuit of peace, particularly in times of conflict.
The Assisi gathering commemorates the historic 1986 interfaith peace assembly organized by St. John Paul II.
This cancellation marks the latest adjustment to Pope Leo's schedule since undergoing surgery last week. Surgeons removed a lobe containing a nodule that was subsequently diagnosed as malignant adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer. This was the first significant health event during his 17-month pontificate.
Despite the cancellation of the Assisi trip, doctors have stated that the pope will require no further treatment for lung cancer, as tests indicated the disease was localized. His activities will continue to be guided by medical recommendations during his recovery period. He returned to the Vatican last Saturday, and his surgeon indicated there were no clinical reasons precluding him from undertaking his planned trip to Latin America next month, which involves travel to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from November 6-17. Thoracic surgeons typically advise patients to avoid flying for three weeks post-surgery, a timeline that would allow for the pope’s upcoming international travel.