Pope's South American trip to go ahead following lung cancer surgery

Key Points:

• Pope Leo, aged 71, will proceed with his scheduled South American tour from 6-17 November despite recently undergoing successful lung cancer surgery in Rome on 13 October.
• The tour includes visits to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, where the Pope will follow the original itinerary, covering 10 cities including Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Lima, Chiclayo, Cuzco, and Pucallpa.
• The Pope, who has Peruvian citizenship and strong ties to the country from his missionary work in the 1980s, expressed enthusiasm for returning to South America and engaging with various communities, including youth and indigenous groups.
• His surgeon confirmed the Pope's satisfactory recovery and saw no medical reasons to cancel the trip, while the Vatican noted that Pope Leo is balancing rest with his ministry duties and is grateful for global support and prayers.
• The Pope had publicly disclosed his lung cancer diagnosis and surgery during his weekly address on 11 October, emphasizing the early detection and successful removal of the tumor.