PHOTO: EPA
Pope Leo to hold general audience for first time since lung cancer surgery
· The Straits Times- Pope Leo XIV will hold a general audience on Oct 21, his first since lung cancer surgery on Oct 13, the Vatican said.
- Doctors said the operation was successful and without complications, but they have not said if the cancer spread or how serious it is.
- Leo, 71, said he will slowly resume duties. His Nov 6-17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru may still change.
VATICAN CITY – Pope Leo XIV will hold a general audience with pilgrims at the Vatican on Oct 21 for the first time since undergoing surgery for lung cancer, the Vatican said.
The 71-year-old pontiff had an operation on Oct 13 to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, fuelling speculation about how his illness might change his 17-month papacy.
Leo pledged on Oct 18, in his first public event since the surgery, that he would slowly resume his usual activities as the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
The Pope hosts a general audience with pilgrims on most Wednesdays of the year. It is held in St Peter’s Square when there is good weather and he often mingles with the crowds, usually in the tens of thousands, in an open-top popemobile.
Leo has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer. The diagnosis for the youngest Pope in decades, who was elected only in May 2025, shocked many people.
The Pope’s doctors have said his surgery was completed successfully, without complications. They have not yet disclosed the size of the tumour or whether the disease had spread to nearby lymph nodes, key factors in determining prognosis.
The Vatican has provided no indication of Leo’s schedule beyond Wednesday.
The Pope is due to visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from Nov 6 to 17, in one of the most intense trips arranged for a Catholic leader in decades, but it remains unclear if that visit will go forward.
Leo’s lead surgeon has said the Pope could be fully recovered in time for the trip, but the Vatican’s Secretary of State has indicated he may need to adjust the pace of his schedule to aid in recovery. REUTERS