No further treatment needed as Leo resumes daily activities
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s foreign minister, said Tuesday at the Italian foreign press association that Pope Leo XIV’s lung cancer diagnosis is “a bit of a game-changer” for the Vatican and the pontiff’s still-young papacy. He said that even though the operation had gone well and there were “grounds for considerable optimism,” the diagnosis was “a bit of a game-changer” at the same time.
The Vatican confirmed this week that Leo would proceed with his planned Nov. 6-17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru without any changes to the program. The published trip itinerary is challenging even for a healthy pope, with a dozen flights and two helicopter rides covering 31,000 kilometers (19,000 miles), the longest of Leo’s pontificate.
Leo, 71, was recovering well after the lower lobe of his right lung was removed Oct. 13. Doctors had found a tumor before the operation, and the tumor was later diagnosed as adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer. Subsequent tests indicated that no further treatment was necessary, and Leo has slowly resumed his daily activities.
Asked why Leo did not postpone the trip to recover further, Gallagher said the pope simply wanted to go. Leo spent two decades as a missionary priest in Peru, where he has citizenship, and has made clear his close attachment to Peru’s people and his former diocese of Chiclayo. “All of the medical advice is very positive, from a clinical point of view, so he feels he can go,” Gallagher said.
Gallagher, a British veteran of the Vatican’s diplomatic service, predicted that the Chicago-born Leo would in the “not-too-distant future” visit his native United States. He said the outcome of next month’s midterm elections might influence whether the trip comes in 2027 or later.
The Associated Press reported that the Vatican generally tries to avoid papal trips to countries in the throes of national election campaigns to avoid allowing the governing powers to use the pope for political benefit. U.S. presidential elections are scheduled for November 2028.
Preliminary discussions about an eventual U.S. trip included timing it to coincide with the U.N. General Assembly gathering in the fall or alongside a possible stop in Mexico, Gallagher said, though he stressed that no firm plans were in place. He said Leo was “quite keen” to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe at some point, referring to the pilgrimage destination where past popes have visited.
Gallagher said it was “highly likely” that Leo would travel to Australia in 2028 to close out the International Eucharistic Congress in Sydney. South Korea in August 2027 for World Youth Day was another major trip expected.
Gallagher said some people had been tempted to view Leo, elected in 2025, as “Superman, a Superpope” after he “hit the ground running” following the drawn-out illness and death of Pope Francis. “The fact that he has fallen ill with, in many ways, one of the most common illnesses of our age means that he is a poor mortal like the rest of us. And I think that that is going to change how we see him and possibly how he sees himself as well,” Gallagher said.
The Associated Press characterized the Francis pontificate as “sometimes turbulent” and said it was marked by the Argentine pope’s “spontaneity, grand gestures and occasional diplomatic gaffes.” Gallagher, who served as foreign minister under Pope Francis as well, shared observations about working with Leo after that pontificate. He described Leo as pensive, someone who thinks through issues and is “not impetuous.”
Gallagher said the math major pope can read a spreadsheet, is extremely well-informed and asks follow-up questions. During their Wednesday evening briefings on pressing foreign policy issues, Gallagher said, “nearly everything I say he knows already.”
At the same time, Leo is tight-lipped and holds his cards close, Gallagher said. Gallagher revealed he did not know about the planned surgery until Leo announced it to the world Oct. 11 at his weekly Sunday blessing. He said he still did not really know what the pope was thinking down the line.
“I think he’ll stick to his plan. And he will stick to revealing his plan, because he’s not the sort of personality who shares a lot in what he’s thinking of doing in three or four years’ time,” Gallagher said.
Gallagher said Leo’s serenity, focus on preaching the Gospel and practice of dealing with issues as they arise had struck him most while working for the pope. He rejected speculation that the Italian-centric Vatican bureaucracy would eventually have its way and thwart Leo’s agenda. “I don’t think the Curia will eat him up. I think if there’s any indication of that, he will demonstrate that he too has an appetite,” Gallagher said to laughs.