Pope Leo XIV is on a 12-day trip through Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, the BBC reports, about three weeks after surgery for lung cancer.
What happened
Doctors found a localized tumor on a routine scan. They removed it with the lower lobe of his right lung, and the Vatican says the cancer had not spread. A spokeswoman called him a “71-year-old who has undergone an operation,” not someone with a permanent medical condition, and said no extraordinary measures are on the itinerary he personally confirmed.
Uruguay gets its first papal visit in four decades. Argentina is a homage to Pope Francis, who never made it home as pope. Peru is the homecoming: Leo spent years there as a priest and bishop, holds Peruvian citizenship, and will return to Chiclayo, plus Cusco and the Amazon.
My take
“I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). Pray for his stamina, for the churches he visits, and for survivors of abuse he plans to meet in each country. The Body of Christ needs shepherds who show up.
God Bless, and Use the Source!
