Pope León XIV, 71, underwent surgery this Tuesday to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung. The Vatican reported that the procedure was completed "successfully" and that doctors removed the lower lobe of that lung.
The operation casts doubt on the pontiff's planned tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, announced in early August as a 12-day trip, from November 6 to 17. According to CNN Chile, the governments and churches in those three countries say they have received no notice of changes so far, although several leaders already acknowledge that adjustments may be needed.
The pope himself announced on Sunday that he would have a nodule removed that had been detected "at a very early stage." The operation lasted 90 minutes. Experts consulted by AFP explained that it is a pulmonary adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer, which has a five-year survival rate of between 80% and 98% when detected early and removed.
David Carbone, director of the thoracic oncology center at Ohio State University, told AFP that the surgery "is the standard procedure." In his view, the fact that the pope did not receive treatment before surgery suggests a very early-stage tumor with a favorable prognosis. Whether he will need chemotherapy or radiotherapy has yet to be determined, and a Vatican source said additional tests are being carried out.
In Uruguay, the first stop on the tour from November 6 to 8, the Catholic Church said no changes are planned. However, Milton Tróccoli, president of the Episcopal Conference of Uruguay, told the newspaper El País that the pope's aides had told him that he still intends to travel, but may need to "slow down" because "these are 15 very intense days."
The archbishop of Montevideo, Cardinal Daniel Sturla, told the newspaper El Observador that the news concerns them and that they are awaiting an official statement from the Holy See on whether the trip is possible. Alfonso Bauer, bishop of Florida, estimated that the decision would be made before the end of the month.
In Argentina, President Javier Milei acknowledged on Radio Mitre that the visit could be postponed. "If the situation requires a change of date, we are available to make the necessary adjustments," he said. Milei noted that 75% of Argentines are Catholic and that the pope is also a head of state.
The source does not yet detail the position of Peru's government, the third country on the itinerary, beyond the messages of support sent by all three countries. Chile is not included in the tour, but the route includes three of its neighbors and is León XIV's first visit to South America as pontiff. According to the available information, a decision on the trip would be made before the end of October.
